Brave New World
by KratistosX987
Summary: In the years after the fall of the Institute, the Minutemen have scored victory after victory, bringing peace back to the Commonwealth. But with peace comes plenty of problems. Determined to build something that'll endure after he's gone, the Sole Survivor sets upon a path that may either bring the Commonwealth even closer... or plunge it into chaos once more.
1. So It Begins

**Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 1 - So It Begins**

* * *

 _"The beginning is the most important part of the work."_

 _\- Plato, Athenian Philosopher_

 _"First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination."_

 _\- Napoleon Hill, American Author_

 _"The journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step."_

 _\- Lao Tzu, Chinese Philosopher_

* * *

War. War never changes.

More and more these days, the Sole Survivor found himself remembering those words, recalling the speech he had been slated to give at the Veterans' Hall in Concord. He sighed then, staring at the horizon where the sun was just beginning to peer out. There wasn't that much activity right now, not at the crack of dawn. Most of his men were sleeping, he knew.

And the ones that weren't, they were looking forward to it. It was just him that didn't. Somehow, even in this shell of a broken down world, somehow his nightmares were still worse.

When sleep only brought you your dead wife and a son you never really knew and a whole world that had burned while you were frozen… Well, you'd start convincing yourself that less is better. And after a while, you'd start believing it. Just like the Sole Survivor. Besides, it had been two hundred years in that damn Vault. Give or take a decade, of course. That was more than enough sleep for the Sole Survivor, as far as he was concerned.

"Goddamn it…" The Sole Survivor turned his back to the creeping dawn and finished what was left of the black coffee in his chipped mug. He had really come a long way since the day he stumbled out of the icy confines of that icy tomb.

It was more of a monument, really. A monument frozen in time. A monument to a world that no longer existed. A world that strangely enough seemed brighter and more hopeful now compared to this wasteland.

But he wasn't going to let that put him off his task.

Shaun might have been a stranger but he was still his son. And in the little time they had together, he felt as if his son had more or less passed on his dream to him. A dream for not only humanity's survival but its betterment. But where the son had believed the Synth to be the key to redefining mankind, the father believed otherwise. Just as the Brotherhood had claimed, all the synth could do was render man obsolete.

No, he had to do it differently. Shaun had said it before, hadn't he? He had encouraged them to forge their own path rather than follow in the son's footsteps. And the Sole Survivor knew just how to do that. The problem was… Would the people go along with it? War wasn't the only thing that never changed.

Human nature, by far, was even harder to change. And the Sole Survivor knew the truth. That the real source of evil, all evil, was man's irrationality against his fellow men. And he saw evidence of that irrationality everywhere. Not just in the years up to 2077 but also all over the wasteland. Raiders. Slavers. Gunners. Triggermen. Forged. The Children of Atom.

And the byproducts of man's irrationality, the true children born of science gone wrong and greed left unchecked, the beneficiaries of nuclear annihilation. The abominations that stalked the wasteland, preying on all those who eked out lives of their own. The Mirelurk. The Radscorpion. The Yao Guai. The Feral Ghoul. The Super Mutant. And the one creature that stood atop the food chain, the fearsome Deathclaw.

No, if there was any hope of redefining mankind, it had to begin with changing opinions and attitudes. And by all accounts, that would be a task far more difficult to accomplish than freeing the Commonwealth from the tyranny of fear and ignorance.

But it wasn't impossible anymore.

Not when the Minutemen had already won over their hearts and minds. The day he had stumbled into Concord and saved Preston Garvey and the Quincy survivors, no one would have believed that the Minutemen could come back, especially not in such a big way. But here they were, eight years later, the most dominant force in the Commonwealth.

He looked around then, gazing over the battlements of the star fort. In his time, it had been Fort Independence. Now, it was simply the Castle. It had been Preston's idea to salvage the Castle, bring it back into Minuteman control. And it hadn't been easy, putting down all the Mirelurks and their monstrous Queen. And with the Castle back in their control and Radio Freedom back on the air, it didn't take long for what was left of the old guard to return. Ronnie Shaw and the veterans had all been a godsend back then, giving the Minutemen something priceless, something they sorely needed... Experience.

And now, the Castle was looking far better than she ever had, except on the day she had been first built. The broken walls, they managed to fix with brick and steel and mortar. The lower tunnels, they had shored up and fortified. There was even a 'castle town' of sorts outside her walls, filled with personnel and their families. Beyond that, trenches had been dug, sandbag barricades set up, steel hedgehogs established. Even the swamp right outside the Castle had been staked and the only entrance into the Castle heavily protected.

It had taken both post-apocalyptic ingenuity and pre-war knowledge to ensure that the Castle would never fall again. Though Nate knew that it was impossible to expect something to be invincible forever. The Castle would fall, no doubt about it. The whole point had been to make the enemy pay a high price in taking it.

The Castle wasn't the only place to undergo such changes, though. The Sole Survivor walked along her high ramparts and halted atop the repaired wall, staring west toward South Boston. He could see caravans coming through, likely from Jamaica Plain. And just down the highway from there, Quincy restored and rebuilt. As entrenched as the Gunners had been, they hadn't stood much of a chance once the Sole Survivor, Preston, and the Minutemen put their plan of attack into motion. Under the cover of night, snipers had made their way across the old highway and neutralized the Gunners' lookouts. And as soon as day came, the Sole Survivor led a frontal assault while Preston and his men had struck from the rear, dividing the Gunners into two fronts, making them easy prey for the snipers from above. Two of their bosses had died in the attack, stubborn to the end. But Clint, that bastard, made good his escape with a few of the Gunners he had won over.

And in the aftermath of the operation, it didn't take long for settlers to move in and reclaim the town, especially with the Longs and Sturges returning. It was just a shame that Mama Murphy didn't live long enough to see all this, though the Sole Survivor could only hope her final days had been as peaceful and comfortable as possible with Codsworth looking after her. As strange as she had been, he couldn't help but like the old woman. And yet... Somehow it seemed appropriate that she would always be in Sanctuary Hills.

"Sir?" A Minuteman spoke up as he walked along the battlements, already accustomed to seeing the his commander up this early in the morning. The Sole Survivor turned to look at his Minuteman, a Private judging from the rank on his dark blue uniform. "You wanted to be notified once everyone arrived." He gestured toward the courtyard then. "They're all here now."

The Sole Survivor gave him a nod. "Thanks for letting me know. It's been a long trip for some of them so we'll let them rest up some first. Have everyone meet me in the conference room at 0900 sharp." The Minuteman saluted and turned to carry out his newest orders. He gave it some consideration before calling after the Minuteman. "And have mess hall cook up some breakfast for us too!"

Once the Minuteman had confirmed the order, the Sole Survivor smiled and returned his attention back west. Getting everyone together was the easy bit. Getting them to go along with his proposal, that would be the hard part. But he'd pull it off. Yeah, his son might have gone about it the wrong way, but he'd fulfill his mission. He'd build a better world, a brighter tomorrow, for the Commonwealth. For the people.

And for Nora and Shaun.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Hello! A bit shorter than I planned but the next chapter will be a good deal longer, I promise! This is just more of a teaser than anything, really._

 _I just wanted to start by thanking you for giving this piece a chance by reading it, I really appreciate it and I hope it interests you enough to keep on reading as I add chapters._

 _Anyway, BRAVE NEW WORLD takes place eight years after the events of Fallout 4, so you can expect to see a great many familiar faces as well as plenty of new ones. Plenty of those NPCs without complete names of their own, such as Kessler or Cait, I've taken the liberty of giving them that, mostly for convenience's sake. Most of the enemies in the game have been all but wiped out, but they'll still be showing up in the story in one fashion or another. There will also be some liberties taken with the Fallout universe, mostly to enhance the story and make it as diverse as possible._

 _And while the story is limited to the Commonwealth for the time being, you can expect to see it expand beyond those boundaries into other locations, even the Capital Wasteland too! Maybe even, if the story allows for it and it doesn't seem too much of a stretch of imagination, as far as the Mojave Wasteland as well!_

 _Again, thanks!_


	2. The Proposal

**Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 2 - The Proposal**

* * *

" _But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet;_

 _Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."_

 _-_ _W. B. Yeats, Irish Poet_

" _You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime, in your life."_

 _\- Sir Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister and Wartime Leader_

" _Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved."_

 _\- Helen Keller, Deaf-Blind American Activist_

* * *

Nathaniel Howard sighed as he straightened up and secured his uniform tighter against himself, having had enough of the morning's chill. He pulled on his militia hat, the very same one he had retrieved from that old sinkhole for Joe Savoldi, something that belonged to one of the old Minutemen. Besides, he was damned if he'd wear something as silly as the tricorn hat that he had found on General McGann. Besides, he didn't have the face for that kinda hat, not like Hancock did. Nate chuckled then, amused at the thought. He gave South Boston one last look before putting on his patrolman sunglasses and took off, whistling softly as he went.

Once it was nearly nine clock, Nathaniel was sitting in the conference room, patiently waiting for the meeting to start.

He looked around the stony chamber, remembering that it had once served as the personal quarters of the Minutemen's Generals. He had slept and ate here at first, during the first days after recovering the Castle. But after a while, he realized there were better uses for the room. And so, the Minutemen fashioned a large table from reclaimed wood and pallets, pulled together all the chairs needed to accommodate the General and his top subordinates. Around the room, paintings and posters in relatively good condition had been found and hung, along with the Minuteman flag opposite from the doors, the flag Nathaniel was seated in front of. The flag he had swore to defend and uphold. Like the tunnels underneath the star fort, the room was rather well lit, thanks to the Fusion Generator they had managed to repair and transport into the Castle.

The doors suddenly opened then. Nate smiled as he stood up, "Damn good to see you again, Garvey!"

Preston grinned as he tipped his hat. "Likewise, General."

And behind him walked in Ronnie Shaw, getting on in her years now, alongside Jeremiah Teagan, formerly the Quartermaster of the Brotherhood of Steel, and Isabel Cruz, who once terrorized the Commonwealth as the dreaded Mechanist. Behind them followed a young man who cut an impressive figure, Eamon Hollis, the only son of Colonel Erza Hollis himself, and beside him, one of the largest men Nate had ever seen by the name of Bristol Ward, who served as the commander of Spectacle Island Penitentiary and its warden.

Soon after, Nathan Barrett came in as well, a familiar sight these days as the Commodore of the Minutemen's growing navy. He was chatting with Jonah Monroe, the Director of the Minutemen's Intelligence agency, and Doctor James Carrington, who once ran with the Railroad and eventually accepted the General's commission once the Institute had been brought down.

Dr. Madison Li was the last to join the group, she who abandoned the Institute once their duplicity had been revealed through Brian Virgil's holotapes.

Her brief time with the Brotherhood had only served to convince her that they hadn't changed at all. A conversation with Nathaniel Howard of the Minutemen, however, changed things and the doctor found herself being brought on as Director of Applied Science along with a promise to put the people first and foremost.

Once everyone had gotten past the formalities and seated themselves, they talked quietly among themselves as Minutemen brought in trays of food, both organically grown and artificially preserved. Though, given the fact that much of the Castle's food stores were of the boxed and canned variety, most of breakfast was comprised of food grown and farmed across the Commonwealth. Perishables first, you see. Spices were often used to give them a better flavor, which made it easier to eat, and the mess hall's Rick Grayson was quite the chef. It took a few favors but Nate made sure the man found himself assigned to the Castle.

As the last of the Minutemen withdrew from the room, Nate gestured for them to close the door before he resumed shoveling his hot breakfast into his hungry mouth.

The Minutemen might have been a people's militia but the first thing he had done as General was to implement military discipline. And despite the two hundred years that had gone by, it was rather well received by the Minutemen, something that surprised the General but he supposed that having a routine to live and operate by gave people some semblance of normalcy.

In any case, it was a source of great comfort to the General himself.

As soon as everyone had finished up eating, Nate tapped twice on the round table, announcing that it was time for the meeting to begin. And there was only one way to begin.

The young Captain stood up then, chin up, chest out, shoulders back, and stomach in. As the General's aide de camp and head of security, the young man found himself with plenty of responsibilities and this was merely one of them. "Roll call! Your name and your role, please!"

"General Nathaniel Howard, present." The Sole Survivor began things off.

"Colonel Preston Garvey, present!" The man who had once been the Last Minuteman in the Commonwealth continued on, pushing away his tray. It had been three years since he received the promotion but Preston was finally beginning to look comfortable with it.

"Commodore Nathan Barrett, Maritime Operations, present." The Commonwealth's leading, and only, admiral spoke next. Nate could tell that the man didn't really enjoy making these trips and yet he never complained, not even once. Even though the Commodore would have preferred to remain at Fort Strong, supervising as ships were towed in to be repaired, upgraded, and outfitted in order to be added to the navy. It wasn't much of a navy now though. More like coast guard, really. But both the General and his Commodore were ambitious in their goals.

"Major Ronnie Shaw, Personnel." The oldest among them grunted. After a moment's delay, she sighed and added. "Here." She had seen many come and go, reaching all the way back before even General Becker. And Nate was glad to have her, glad to have her experience and her counsel close at hand. That and she had refused early retirement.

"Major Jeremiah Teagan, Logistics, present as well." The Quartermaster smiled as he finished what was left of his coffee, apparently happy to be here and not left in yet another bloody cage. As the war between the Minutemen and the Brotherhood went on, circumstances had demanded that the Quartermaster be relocated to the Airport. A lucky circumstance, as far as Teagan was concerned, as it meant he wasn't aboard the Prydwen when it had crashed and burned.

There was silence for a while. Then Nate cleared his throat, a small smirk tugging the corner of his lips. "Eh? Oh yeah! Major Isabel Cruz! Engineering! Also here! … I'm sorry?" The young woman grinned sheepishly as she buried her face behind a folder she had been looking over, schematics for some new design. She had certainly come a long away from the awkward and socially inept young woman Nate had found in the bowels of the Mechanist's Lair.

Beside her, the largest of them pulled out reports from a thin suitcase and placed them on the table. "Commandant Bristol Ward. Corrections. Present." The warden gave Isabel an raised eyebrow, as if silently commenting on her continued lack of professionalism. Despite his stoic personality, there were few others that the General would trust more with his own life than Bristol. He had been one of the first recruits that joined up with Nate and Preston and had been with them every step of the way. The man may not be much of a conversationalist, but there was no one else the General trusted more to command the Minutemen's prison on Spectacle Island, a facility more commonly known as 'The Tombs'.

"Doctor James Carrington, Medical Affairs. Here." The former Railroad member sighed before refilling his cup of coffee, not really caring that it was mostly lukewarm at this point. He hadn't been too pleased with his position in the Railroad, Nate knew. The opportunity to actually focus on saving people, no matter what they happened to be, along with getting the respect he knew he deserved made Dr. Carrington someone the General could always count on. That and he enjoyed their late night chats over a bottle of bourbon.

"Director Jonah Monroe, Intelligence, present as well." The blank look he had on was difficult to read as always, but the General knew what he was thinking. The man was definitely enjoying this. He also reminded himself to never play cards with the guy either, given the fact that Monroe had the best poker face he'd ever seen.

"Director Madison Li, Applied Science, present." The scientist straightened up, impatient to get right to business. After all, she had so many projects to work through and she had left them all on hold just to come all the way here.

Eamon checked off each and every name on his clipboard, taking attendance until it came down to the last name. "Captain Eamon Hollis, Security, also present!" The Captain checked off the last name and placed his clipboard on the table. "All accounted for, sir!" Preston looked up at the young man and smiled. He had come across him just a few years ago, along with Colonel Hollis' widow. They had done well for themselves, he was glad to hear, and with the resurgence of the Minutemen, the boy had wanted to follow in his father's footsteps.

And so Preston Garvey brought him on aboard his fireteam at first, and once the General had a look at him and a conversation with him alone, Eamon found himself on the fast track into the officer corps. He remembered then, what Nate had said, that Eamon wouldn't be a bad choice for General someday. And so, the son of Hollis found himself stationed at the Castle, serving as the General's chief adjutant, and eventually got made head of security for the Castle and across the Commonwealth's many Minutemen positions. Good training before taking up the reins of the Minutemen, if something ever happened to the General and Preston both.

The Colonel nodded to himself, knowing that Nate had the right idea and the right direction for the Minutemen. Establishing a chain of command was important. He just wished the old Minutemen had done that in the past instead of letting everything fall apart.

Nathaniel tapped his empty glass on the table twice. "Now that the formalities are done with, let's get started." He smiled as he looked around the table, giving every man and woman his personal attention before going on. "We've come a long way now. It's been eight years since the Institute. Won ourselves plenty of victories. Got Raiders and Gunners running, wiped out the Forged, crushed the Triggermen and their monopoly on vice, and sent the Brotherhood packing. The Children of Atom have all been relocated to their Crater, where they'll hopefully stay. Just about everyone's standing together now. Diamond City. Goodneighbor. Bunker Hill. Concord. Salem. Quincy. To name a few. It's been six years now too, since the Lexington Initiative. Think we can all agree that's been a massive success." The General grinned as everyone nodded and clapped in agreement. That one, he was especially proud of. The Lexington Initiative had been put together by Nate and some of his earliest allies, hoping to stanch the chaos blanketing the Commonwealth following the Brotherhood of Steel's rampage. With all the refugees wandering the Commonwealth, it gave the Sole Survivor an unique opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.

The Minutemen cleared out the ruined city and provided protection as the refugees, along with volunteers from all over the Commonwealth, worked together to raise walls, clear away the rubble, make repairs to buildings and bring the city back to life. And with Major Teagan and the Minutemen under his command garrisoning the Corvega Assembly Plant and plenty of land around with which to raise cattle on and grow crops, Lexington soon became one of the fastest growing cities in the Commonwealth and an important population center north of the river, acting as a sister of sorts to Diamond City.

And it also made Lexington a permanent member of the alliance between the settlements, alongside Diamond City, Goodneighbor, Bunker Hill, and Quincy. And as long as the big five continued to support the Minutemen, so would all the rest. Wasteland politics wasn't that much different from pre-war politics, after all. ' _Just with a lot less bullshit.'_ Nate thought to himself, still smiling.

"And just about every settlement in the Commonwealth is flying our flag. Radio Freedom coverage now includes all of the Commonwealth. Protector Ingram's still maintaining Steelport's neutrality and her people in Cambridge and Boston are still behaving themselves. At this point, I think we can believe that these new Outcasts are pretty sincere about their refusal to continue following Maxson." The General looked at Teagan then, and the Major nodded. He had been the one to facilitate the truce between the Minutemen and the Outcasts, securing the Boston Airport as well as outposts in Cambridge and Boston as their territory permanently, along with traveling and salvage rights. They might no longer be loyal to Maxson but they were still Brotherhood as far they were concerned, and Nate could respect that. And in the years since then, the Airport came to be called Steelport, mostly because of the massive steel wall the Outcasts had built around their turf, enclosing the entire strip of land off from the rest of Boston. The only way in or out was by the bridge or via vertibird. But that wasn't an issue, since they were willing to trade Brotherhood expertise and assistance in exchange for supplies and technology, along with repairing Minuteman vehicles in the parking garage, which they had converted into Motor Pool. The only problem left was that many among the Outcasts still resented Nate for his apparent betrayal of the Brotherhood of Steel and his part in the destruction of the Prydwen.

Even though the General had never actually swore the oath nor vowed to serve the Brotherhood alone. No, they had simply shared a common ground and a common enemy. And Maxson found his military expertise and combat skills too valuable to ignore. And so, they had worked together against the Institute. And things had been fine until Maxson decided that the Commonwealth could not govern itself, not without the power fist of the Brotherhood hanging over it.

And Arthur Maxson was still alive.

Defeated, yes. But still alive and licking his wounds. With what remained of his loyalists, the Elder and his battered forces had pulled out following the destruction of the Prydwen and by all reports had made it back home to the Capital Wasteland, a dangerous trek through New York and Pennsylvania. In the process, he had lost up to half of his remaining troops, leaving the Elder in a weakened position but he could still draw on the resources and manpower of the Capital Wasteland.

And Nate felt it in his guts. Arthur Maxson would have his vengeance.

"In short, we've accomplished a lot of good." Nate smiled, pushing aside his frustrations over the unresolved Brotherhood issue. It wasn't the time for that, not right now. "But that's all in the past and we still have plenty of work to do." He looked beside him, at Preston. "Colonel Garvey, your report?"

Preston nodded his acknowledgement. "Yes sir. Everything's good on our end. My men have finally finished securing Fort Hagen and her outposts. All the families of our personnel have settled in and they've started growing crops. Give it a year or two and we should be pretty self-sufficient. Also got a petition here from… Gail Anderson. Says she's had enough of roaming and she's looking to settle down. Dr. Anderson wants to set up shop at Fort Hagen. There's an old blood clinic there. She'd like to get it fixed up and start stockpiling blood." Preston handed the General both his reports and the petition, one that had his signature on it as approval.

Nate went over the papers then, giving them some serious consideration. It would certainly be a good idea to improve on the Commonwealth's ability to support itself, and that also included improving health care. He looked over at Dr. Carrington, who gave him a nod as well, clearly supportive of it himself. "All right. Tell Dr. Anderson she's got her blood clinic. And have our boys help too. We should have plenty of materials and tools, right?"

"We do." Preston smiled, glad to still be helping people.

"Great. Dr. Carrington, I think we can provide some help as well?" The General went on.

Dr. Carrington looked over some of his own papers. "I think so, General. We can certainly send over a few of our trainees, the experience would do them some good. There's also some resources we can send along too, help her get set up." In getting Mass Bay Medical Center up and running, they had managed to accrue a bit too much of certain things. Linens and gauze, soap and antiseptic, things like that. "We also have a surplus of medical supplies and chems, we can dig into that too."

"Fantastic," Nate nodded as he went over the Colonel's reports. "Commodore Barrett?" He looked up at Nathan then.

The Commodore slid over a folder filled with his own reports. "Fort Strong's naval training camp is proceeding well. Within two years, we should have enough people to man every ship currently in our fleet."

Nate nodded as he picked up the folder. "And that'd be, what? Fourteen ships?"

Commodore Barrett shook his head. "Presently, we have sixteen ships. I expect to add another three within six months. At this rate, within five years, we will have about three hundred sailors. Maybe more.

The General smiled. "Excellent. Keep it up. I want that navy up and running as soon as feasibly possible, especially if we're going to defend the Commonwealth's coasts. That and I don't need another goddamn mirelurk queen thinking the Castle's perfect to nest in." He got a few laughs with that one, a nod from Nathan, and a groan from Preston.

"Don't even joke, General!" Preston gave him a dirty look.

Nate grinned before clearing his throat. "Major Shaw, how's our military strength?" He looked over at the old veteran who sighed and sat up straight in her chair.

"General, once this year's cadets are done with their time at the National Guard Training Yard, our overall forces should be nearly at two thousand."

Preston whistled, both impressed and genuinely happy to hear that there were so many Minutemen now. Nate chuckled and went over the numbers in his head. "Two thousand. That means we now account for ten percent of the Commonwealth's population?"

"Roughly." Ronnie nodded. "And thanks to both Teagan here and all our salvage teams, all of our people are outfitted with the best possible equipment. As per your order, every squad in the Commonwealth has been reorganized. Twenty Minutemen to every squad. Twelve infantrymen, three heavy weapon specialists, two snipers, one combat medic, one technical specialist, and one sergeant. They've got an even mix of combat rifles and laser rifles, and our heavy infantry are packing miniguns or gatling lasers."

The General nodded as he processed all this. "Good work. That way, our people can handle any situation. I expect every squad from here on to be similarly outfitted. We are not losing any more people just because they didn't have what they needed. Clear?"

"Clear." The Major acknowledged the order.

"Major Teagan, how's our supply doing?"

The ex-Brotherhood proctor tapped the table with his pen, quickly looking over his papers. "Pretty good, General. We've finished stripping down the rest of the Convega Assembly Plant, so there's plenty of space for our stockpiles now. My specialists are also working around the clock to get our operation over at Mass Gravel and Sand up and running, so we can start producing our own concrete. I also got a few of my boys looking into whipping up some of that homemade cement you suggested before, no promises though." The General nodded as he listened, going through his own copy of the man's reports and statistics. "Our people at both the Federal Ration Stockpile and the Four Leaf Fishpacking Plant have also sent in their reports as well. They've secured both locations and sizable amounts of our food supplies have been relocated to both locations. They should have the first batch of those MREs ready soon. If they meet your standards, we should be ready to start distributing them to all our forces."

Nate gave the man a thumbs up. "Excellent job, Teagan. Those MREs will definitely help our boys and girls in the field perform better. Anything from Protector Ingram?"

Teagan scratched the back of his neck before pulling out one of his papers and slid it over to the General. This was the part of the job he didn't really like, serving as the Minutemen' liaison to Steelport's Outcasts. "Yes sir, but… It's a bit complicated."

"Let's hear it." Nate gestured for him to go on as he grabbed the paper.

"She's… Hoping to establish an official Commonwealth Chapter for the Brotherhood of Steel. And, uh…"

The General sighed as he looked up from the paper Teagan gave him. "And she's demanding we turn over the Switchboard."

"Yes sir. Speaking from a Brotherhood perspective, it's one of the best options to establish an official chapter. Steelport is in the open and all their outposts are scattered." Teagan explained, given his personal insight into how the Brotherhood operated. "Ingram is also considering pulling out of the Commonwealth as well. Said if they do, she'd be open to negotiating the redistribution of Brotherhood territory within the Commonwealth."

This bit of news has everyone surprised. Nate was quiet for a moment, thinking to himself. Then he went on, "Really? What for?"

Teagan sighed. "Maxson, sir. You've seen what he did. What he's capable of. So has Ingram. The Outcasts know he's unhinged. The High Elders don't. Ingram needs to get word back to Lost Hills, let them know what's been happening. She also wants to find out what the situation in the Capital Wasteland is as well."

"I imagine," Nate began, "That these High Elders won't look kindly at us for bringing down the Eastern Brotherhood or humiliating one of their own Elders. Plus, it's Arthur. He's practically royalty to them, isn't he?"

Major Teagan nodded. "Pretty much. It was a Maxson that founded ou- Ahem. Their order. And He's a Maxson. The last Maxson. If he had died, it'd have been a huge blow to the Brotherhood's morale. Alive, he's a symbol they can rally around."

The General sighed again. "Send word to Protector Ingram. I'd like to meet her. She can name the place and time, I'll be there." He could feel everyone's eyes on him then.

Dr. Carrington cleared his throat. "Are you really going to consider surrendering the Switchboard over to the Outcasts?"

Nate looked at him then, then shook his head. "No. I don't think so. I know how dangerous the Switchboard is in the wrong hands. Plus, it'd put the Brotherhood right near Lexington. Nobody has forgotten the war between the Brotherhood and us. That's like putting a lit match next to a powder keg… No, I have a couple alternatives that Ingram might like."

Preston shifted in his seat. "Such as?"

His friend and companion was quiet again, but not for long. He looked at Preston beside him and smiled. "Somewhere way out of sight and mind. Somewhere relatively isolated. Somewhere they won't be too much trouble." He looked at everyone then. "Somewhere like Vault 95. We took that place from the Gunners. Place is still in pretty good shape, after two hundred years. It'll need repairs. It'll need maintenance. But it's still full of technology. Plenty of broken robots too, courtesy of the Gunners. Plus, the Vault door is still operational. And their backs will be up against the Glowing Sea. Somerville's nearby, so we can see about setting up an office there, assign someone there to liaison with the Brotherhood." Then he shrugged. "Plus, we have a Minuteman position nearby, don't we? Waypoint Echo, I believe."

Ronnie nodded. "Yes sir. We took it after Maxson and his Brotherhood withdrew from the Commonwealth. Basic set up there, with sandbags and a couple defensive measures, along with a mobile communications array. Just… Not really much to do with it, is there?"

The General grinned. "Glowing Sea's still dangerous these days, isn't it? We definitely need to ramp up our security along the border. I want that Waypoint operational soon. Make sure there's an entrenched Minuteman outpost there. In fact, I want Waypoints all along the border…" He picked up a rolled up map of the Commonwealth and unfurled it across the table, as Preston and Ronnie both stood up to look over just what the General wanted. Nate tapped each position, two just south of Natick Banks, one along the highway, and one more to the south of Vault 95. "Here, here, here, and here. I want them all fortified and I want them all linked up. Applied Science can whip up some communications arrays of our own, I'm sure." He looked over at Madison then, who acknowledged the order and jotted it down on a notepad. It would give her technicians something to focus on.

"You got it." Preston continued. "Waypoint Echo. That's the, uh, old phonetic thing, isn't it?"

Nate chuckled as he clapped the back of his closest friend. "The NATO alphabet, yeah. We'll use the following, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta." He looked at Ronnie then, and the old veteran stared back at him. "Five stations should be enough to patrol the border along the Glowing Sea, and to keep an eye on the Outcasts."

Teagan coughed then. "If they accept, that is."

Nate grinned. "I've been to Vault 95 and I've been to the Switchboard. Vault 95 is a lot bigger. And far more defensible. Give Ingram the location of the Vault, tell her to take a look herself. Or send some of her people, if she wants." Then he sat back down in his seat. "She's not dumb. If that Brotherhood chapter is going to survive, a Vault is the best option."

And Major Teagan could only agree with that assessment. Throughout much of the Brotherhood's history, they had thrived best underground, inside bunkers. And while it was no bunker, a Vault was a far more attractive option, and likely to contain a treasure hoard of pre-war technology. With the Outcast's expertise, they would likely get the Vault back into exceptional condition before moving on. If they did move on. "Yes sir. I'll meet with Protector Ingram on my way back to the Corvega facility, give her your message."

"Thanks." Nate turned his attention over to Isabel Cruz. "Isabel?"

The young woman stood up and scrambled to look through her newest designs and schematics before collecting them all into a single folder and handed them to Bristol, who then gave it to the General. "The techies and I have been working on upgrading those laser muskets, like you requested. We think we figured a way to make them self-charging. Removing the cranks and streamlining the design will make them lighter too. Plus, with that new design for the laser barrel itself, you can fire them faster and they'll be more accurate, but there's a bit of a decrease in power, about fourteen percent."

Nate grinned at this news. "Fantastic. You're brilliant, Cruz." He looked over the rest of the schematics, new updates for combat robots as well as suggestions on improvements to their software. Those would have to be looked over by Madison and her department first before they were put into use. The young Major blushed at the praise and sat back down. "In the meantime, start making these modifications to the laser muskets, I want all of them upgraded." The General smiled at his former adversary. While laser rifles had replaced the laser muskets, the laser musket was still a symbol of the Minutemen. And with these improvements, they would make the perfect weapons for something he had in mind. He looked over at Bristol next. "How about you, Ward?"

"Sir." Bristol held up some papers held together with a clip, allowing the General to take them. "Your prison is still operating at max efficiency. And it is also nearly at maximum capacity. Included with my reports is a petition to expand the Spectacle Island Penitentiary, increase the size of the garrison there, and requisition up to three ships to be outfitted and placed under my command so the waters around the Island can be patrolled as well as provide transport for prisoners and personnel between Spectacle Island and the mainland."

Nate listened to everything his Commandant had to report. He hadn't expected to take so many prisoners but if the rule of law was to respected, there also had to be respect for human life as well. It would have been easier to take no prisoners but it wasn't humane. Not when most of them were merely desperate men and women who had turned to a life of crime just to survive.

The decision was a simple one to make. "Approved. Commodore Barrett will assist in salvaging and repairing the boats you need, and Major Teagan will procure the materials you need. What about workers?"

The Commandant shook his head. "The prisoners will do the majority of the work. I only need the necessary tools and a team of engineers and masons to assist in the building." He would make sure the prisoners were well shackled and looked after, so that they wouldn't escape. Furthermore, it would be part of their sentence, to repay their debts to the Commonwealth. What better way to do that than by improving the very site of their incarnation? Before he was finished, the Penitentiary would be more than just a prison. It would be a fortress.

Nate looked at Isabel then, who acknowledged the silent order and quickly wrote it down on her clipboard. "I'll get people ready to go as soon as they're needed, sir!"

And with that, he turned his attention to Jonah Monroe, the shadowy head of his intelligence gathering network, a man who had once ran with the Triggermen, only to sell them out and throw in with the Minutemen. The Triggermen had been a necessary evil, but one he hated. With the Minutemen, he knew he could finally do some real good for the people. And it was a task made easier by the fact that among his people were a number of former Railroad agents, who brought with them plenty of expertise and experience in espionage and surveillance.

Jonah needed no encouragement. He gestured toward a folder that was already in front of Nate. "Everything you need to know is in there." And that was all of it. By the very nature of his department, everything Director Monroe did was classified and on a need to know basis, known only to Nathaniel Howard himself.

This was something that didn't sit easy with most of the council but they understood the need for security.

Beside, most of them if not all of them trusted Nate explicitly and knew that he would do everything in his power to ensure that things were done properly. They knew that Nate would never allow the Minutemen to get as bad as the Brotherhood or the Institute had, or even like the Minutemen of old.

It was just that most of them still held reservations about Jonah Monroe.

"Director Li?" Nate moved on to Madison then, looking up at the former member of the Institute.

Madison too slid over a folder filled with reports and findings and requests for her department. "Our facility at the ArcJet Systems building have taken up a considerable amount of time with repairs but we've made some small breakthroughs to help improve lives. All the relevant information have been included in my report. For the time being, much of our work is being done outside the facility. Training new technicians and assistants have also slowed us down somewhat."

"Still? Hmm. Anything we can do about that?" The General looked at Madison, genuinely concerned as he understood it was important to maintain an edge over your opponents, and the best way to do that was with science.

"Yes, I have a proposal, actually. I've been talking with Major Cruz and Dr. Carrington here, and we all agreed that having some kind of... Ahem.. Institution would be far more helpful in training up people for our respective departments. A school, really. There's one just nearby. South Boston High School."

Nate nodded, seeing where she was going. "And if we secured the site and made repairs to it…"

Dr. Madison smiled then. "Then we could send people to staff the building, pass on their technical and scientific knowledge. Within time, we'd have graduates join their chosen fields and bring their skill sets to us instead of it falling upon us to instill these skills into them in the first place."

The General thought this a splendid idea, not just for the training of Minuteman personnel but as part of overall Commonwealth education. There was already a school in Diamond City, but that was largely for the education of kids. And there were plenty of apprentices all over the Wasteland, learning from their masters. He had always believed education to be important but hadn't really considered what to do about it. Up until now. "Okay. We'll secure you your school. Have your instructors picked out and ready to teach."

With that, Madison was pleased and it came down to the Minutemen's resident medical expert. "Dr. Carrington?" Nate gestured for him to proceed.

The doctor handed Nate the last of the reports. He cleared his throat then, picking up the original reports he had written up himself. "Mass Bay Medical Center is still operating at peak efficiency. We've also established a number of clinics across the Commonwealth, as well as expanded on existing ones such as Diamond City and Bunker Hill." It would have been redundant to mention the shortage of trained medical assistants as Madison had already alluded to that, so Dr. Carrington moved on to the next bit. "Right now, any serious emergency means people heads straight for Mass Bay. If this keeps up, it's gonna burn through all our supplies and we'll end up overwhelmed. To help rectify this, I'd like to fix up the insane asylum up in Parsons, convert it into a medical facility. That way, anyone up in northern Commonwealth can head over there instead."

Nate gave that some thought. "It'd take a great deal of work to repair Parsons and a lot of time."

Dr. Carrington nodded. He knew this as well as the General did. "I know. That's why I want to set up tents outside the asylum, treat the people while workers take care of the interior. I'd also like to set up a triage center and get started on helping people. Just because Parsons won't be ready for some time doesn't mean we can't help people now. It'll be enough for now."

Preston nodded his approval. "I agree. We got to do everything we can for the people. If Dr. Carrington thinks it's doable, I think we should go with it."

Nate chuckled. "If both the good doctor and the Colonel think it's necessary, who the hell am I to argue? I'll have people get right on securing Parsons and I'll talk to some of the settlements in the area about contributing materials and resources as well as workers. You got someone to head up this field hospital of yours?"

Dr. Carrington smiled, glad to get his approval. "Yes sir. I'll have a convoy get ready to make the trip up there, just let me know when the site's secured."

And that concluded the first part of the meeting. Now it was time for the second part, and as far as Nate was concerned, the most important part. "All right. Everyone, thank you for your reports, and keep up the good work. Now, I'd like to talk about something else."

As soon as he was confident that he had everyone's undivided attention, Nate went on. "Aside from putting down raiders and all, we've had just about seven years of peace. Tenuous and fragile peace, but peace all the same." All around the table, everyone nodded along in silent agreement.

"Which is why we're going to war."

There was an entirely different kind of silence now, the kind you could hear a pin drop in. Then Preston Garvey broke the silence. "What!?" And the uproar began, everyone yelling in confusion and voicing their concerns, all the while as Nate chuckled, having expected this outburst.

 _War. War never changes._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _A long one this time around, to make up for a short start!_

 _Well, let me know what you think about the new men and women Nate's picked to help lead the Minutemen! :) Some of them are entirely original characters, obviously, but others are faces you've seen before and know well, as I wanted to put together a council that included ties to all of the game's factions without it feeling too awkward. And obviously, some of the game's biggest characters are still alive after the game's conclusion, such as Arthur Maxson, because they still have a role to play later on in the story._

 _And for those who support Maxson and his Brotherhood, I'd like to mention that I'm actually a huge Brotherhood fan myself, but this story wouldn't be as good without the Brotherhood serving as a foil to the Minutemen, unfortunately..._

 _So while Maxson may end up going down a different path, rest assured, the Brotherhood will endure. Ad Victoriam!_

 _Also, thanks for reading!_


	3. Drawing Up Plans

**Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 3 - Drawing Up Plans**

* * *

" _Before anything else, preparation is the key to success."  
\- Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-American Inventor_

" _We don't even know how strong we are until we are forced to bring that hidden strength forward. In times of tragedy, of war, of necessity, people do amazing things. The human capacity for survival and renewal is awesome."_

 _\- Isabel Allende, Chilean Writer_

" _Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack."_

 _\- Sun Tzu, Chinese Strategist_

* * *

Nate slammed his hand on the table, shutting up everyone. Everyone except Bristol Ward anyway, who hadn't even bothered to open his mouth. The man might not understand why his General was doing this, Nate knew, but that wouldn't have stopped him from following him straight into the jaws of hell itself.

"Listen here!" He shouted them down, determined to get his proposal in before they could get any momentum going, even if it meant he had to cram it down their throats. "The Commonwealth is at peace here but the Commonwealth isn't the world! There's plenty outside her borders, plenty that could come swinging in and shatter everything we've built together! Least of all the Gunners!"

The General picked up the folder he had gotten from Director Monroe and opened it, pulling out one of the papers included inside it. He handed it over to Preston then. "We sent these bastards running, yeah. But they were never really defeated. No... They've been hiding out there, rebuilding their strength, just waiting for the chance to come back and take what's theirs! Captain Wes was their leader here in the Commonwealth, but even he answers to someone higher up the chain." As the paper got passed around the table, Nate went on. "And soon or later, this guy is gonna be gunning for us.

Ronnie Shaw sighed as she handed the report over to Teagan. "And this is all verified?"

Nate nodded. "Director Monroe's best agents confirmed it." He stood up and pulled up another map, this one showing the entire state of Massachusetts. "We lost track of Clint after retaking Quincy." The General looked at Preston then. "He's turned up in Brockton here, commanding what's left of the Commonwealth's Gunners. Brockton's twenty five miles to the southwest, about. And seventeen miles south of Brockton is Taunton, where a large force of Gunners has been massing under the command of Colonel Cypress. And beyond that…"

Everyone was listening intently now, aware of the danger the Gunners posed. After all, it was they who had brought down the Minutemen all those years ago. And no doubt they were looking forward to repeating that accomplishment.

"... General Quentin Braddock has been building up his forces and preparing for a campaign to retake the Commonwealth. He's operating out of his headquarters at Battleship Cove in Fall River, twenty miles to the south. And he is a lot more disciplined and organized than any of the Gunners we've gone up against before."

Preston sighed. It wasn't really what he saw the Minutemen doing but he knew it had to be done. Otherwise, they'd all regret it. "So… What are we going to do about this? Shore up our defenses and start laying traps, get ready for them?"

Ronnie grunted. "They would overwhelm us in that case."

Nate agreed. "Yeah. We'd be sitting ducks, basically. If we play defense, that means our positions are going to be fixed, and the Gunners will have a good idea where to hit us in order to hurt us. Speed is crucial in a war, Preston, and we gotta be faster."

Captain Hollis cleared his throat then. "Sir, does that mean you want to take the fight to them?"

The General nodded. "That's right, Eamon. What I'm proposing is this, we send an expedition down south to put an end to the Gunners."

Teagan rubbed his chin, considering the proposal. An expedition means outfitting and supplying soldiers. "How many men are you planning on taking?"

Nate gave him a look then. "I'm thinking six hundred. Plus volunteers and mercenaries."

Preston furrowed his eyebrows at this, confused. "Mercenaries? You're not talking about the Free Militia, are you?"

The General chuckled then. "Yes, I am. Already talked with MacCready about all this before, told him it was possible we'd be going after the Gunners. He's already promised a hundred of his best. His men will make good scouts and skirmishers, I'm thinking."

And Bristol leaned forward, concern evident in his voice. "Seven hundred, maybe eight hundred. Will that be enough against the Gunners?"

Nate shook his head. "No. Which is why I'm going to meet with Strong at Natick Banks, see if some of his people want to take a shot at the Gunners." He grinned then, at the surprised looks on some of their faces. There might not be any more Super Mutants being produced by the Institute, but there were still plenty that had surrendered to the Minutemen and their Commonwealth allies, plenty of Super Mutants who didn't see any point in fighting a losing war on all sides. And after their surrender, the Minutemen carved out a sizable territory for the survivors, plenty of lands around Lake Cochituate but centered in Natick Banks.

And it didn't take long for Strong and his quest for 'milk of human kindness' to produce an effect on the rest of them.

Granted, it helped having the people at the WRVR station broadcasting their plays and stories. Rex Goodman was all too happy to jump at the offer to help civilize the Super Mutants, even after his first attempt had gone pretty badly. It had been three years since then, and as far as Nate was concerned, they were behaving pretty well and they had even managed to be helpful, hunting and stalking some of the most dangerous creatures in the area, including Deathclaws. Strong and his people had even made trips into the Glowing Sea, though Nate couldn't see any point in it. But if it kept them busy and they were happy, why complain about it?

"Furthermore," Nate went on, "With the Outcasts development just now, I'm hoping Protector Ingram will see the value in sending some of her people with us. We get Brotherhood firepower. They get to salvage technology."

Teagan chuckled at this. "I think she's going to have a hard time turning that down, sir."

Nate grinned. "I agree. But yeah, all together, I'm hoping to get together about a thousand men and women. The majority of them will be our Minutemen, but with everyone else pitching in, it'll look more like a Commonwealth expedition than anything else. I'm also requisitioning military assets as well. We're gonna need to haul plenty of supplies." And then he added, "That is, if everyone agrees that this is necessary, of course."

Captain Hollis smiled and cleared his throat. "Your proposal has been heard. Everyone?"

Everyone raised their hand in a show of support, some quick to do so and others slowly. Preston Garvey was the last to do so, and he did it with a heavy sigh.

And Jonah, whose agents had discovered the threat and gathered as much intel as possible, finally cracked a smile and slapped on the table. "Motion carried and passed. General, congratulations. You have your war."

Nate chuckled. That had been easier than he had expected. Either that or they had far more trust in him than he deserved. And if they failed there? Well, the consequences would be horrific. It'd be the end of everything he's built, everything the Commonwealth built together. That was the danger here, but he couldn't ignore the threat from the Gunners. Either way… "Good. However, it's not going to be that simple. It's a straightforward route from Boston to Fall River, but…"

Commodore Barrett nodded. From the look of the map and the route Nate had pointed out, he could see that it would be impossible to resupply the expedition by sea. But there was something else, however. "Fall River itself, correct?"

Nate looked up at him. "Yeah, she's going to be problematic. There's a naval museum there, as I recall. There is going to be plenty of ships. They may not even be operational at all but… Even with just one ship afloat... Even if we broke through their defenses and laid siege to Fall River, they could still resupply by sea."

Barrett raised his eyebrow. "Not if we set up a blockade with our own ships. A few gunboats will do the job. But you won't be able to take artillery with you on this expedition, though…" He smiled then. And so did the General. "... But we could set up artillery batteries from our ships, bombard them from seaside, while you hit them from land."

"I like it." Nate grinned.

Cruz raised her hand then. "We also got some vertibirds in working condition. You could take them with you."

Nate acknowledged the Major with a nod. "I plan on it. Taking the Gunners down once and for all is gonna take everything we got. That includes air power. We got a couple of tanks in the arsenal too, don't we? I remember recovering some from the Rust Devils bastards west of Fort Hagen. Get those babies purring too."

She nodded, scribbling it down on her clipboard. "There's also a few buses my techies have been working on. They pulled all the seats out, welded on bars to all the windows, and reinforced the body with armor. We even got a plow on one of them!" She grinned. "We could turn one of them into a…" Isabel trailed off, shrugging as she did so.

And Nate finished her line of thought. "Mobile command center. That's a fantastic idea. Have your people cut in some gunports and figure out a way we can refuel the bus from the inside. And if we're going to use that as a command center, let's get it outfitted with an communication array too, because I'd like to stay in touch with all of my men." The General looked over at Madison, who nodded. "And Major Cruz, make sure that command center's got some serious armor on it. It needs to be able to take a beating and keep rolling."

"Yes sir." The Major continued scribbling down everything.

"Everything else, we'll transport with trucks. Get as many of them together as we can. I want pickup trucks. Delivery trucks. Flatbed trucks. Whatever works. As for the troops, we got humvees, armored personnel carriers, and army trucks." Nate sat down, crossing his arms. "I want additional firepower as well. RPGs. Flamers. Brownings. Bring plenty of our plasma weapons too."

Madison looked at Nate then. "What about the mini-nukes? We've stockpiled a great number of them."

Nate was silent for a moment. Then he shook his head. "No. Nuclear weapons was what burned this world to ashes once. I don't want to see that nightmare a second time. There's been enough destruction. If there was one thing the Brotherhood was right about… It's that man can't be trusted with powers beyond his control. And there's no such thing as control when it comes to nuclear power. We may have got fanatics who worship Atom..." He looked around at everyone in the room, all of them focused on him alone. "... But you know what? Atom's power can only destroy, not create. Destroying shit isn't what the Minutemen do. It's not who we are. We're in the business of protecting life. We defend the defenseless. We help the helpless. We rebuild what's been destroyed. "

Then he looked back at Doctor Li, who looked away, properly chastised. "Yes, General." There was nothing else that needed to be said.

"Every life matters. Be it man, mutant, or machine." Nate concluded. "And while the Gunners may be the enemy, even they don't deserve to be vaporized into atomic dust. Even though they're probably gonna try and use nukes on us." He sighed before pushing it aside, forcing a smile on. "But we're not going to give them that opportunity." He turned to Director Monroe. "Gunners aside, how about the natives in those parts?"

His face resuming its blank stare, Monroe looked over his papers. "As is to be expected, there are a great number of settlements between the Commonwealth and Fall River. The Gunners have established themselves as the dominant power in the region and are exacting tributes from the people. They are hated. But more than that, they are feared. And save for a small resistance, the majority of the people are too fearful to rise up against them. From our preliminary surveys, I estimate the overall population to be roughly similar to ours." The General whistled then. Roughly twenty thousand people. "There is a great deal of resentment, however. I believe that if an opportunity presented itself, if the Gunners were sufficiently weakened…"

And Nate grinned. "They'll stand up and overthrow the Gunners." He looked around at everyone then. "So that's our way in. We'll move against Clint, use the element of surprise and take him out of equation first. Cypress will send people to find out what happened. He may even come himself. One well-laid ambush will break any army. We'll mop up before moving on to Fall River. And as we move, word will spread. People will be rushing to help bring down the Gunners. Just like they did here in the Commonwealth. All they need is hope."

Preston nodded. "And we're going to give them that hope." He sat forward, a smile on his lips. "Who's going to be leading this expedition?"

The General looked at Preston. "I am."

"Sir!" Preston shook his head then. "That's a bad idea! We need you here!"

And Nate sighed. "No, you don't. The Commonwealth needs to believe that it can survive on its own. The Minutemen have to believe that they can handle anything even without me around. What happens once I'm gone? I don't want to see everything we've built collapse."

His Colonel could only stare at him. Then he sighed too. He knew the General was right, even if he didn't want to outright admit it.

"You're going to command the Minutemen in my absence, Colonel Garvey. Commandant Ward here will be your second in command. And after him, Director Monroe will be third in the chain of command." Nate looked up at young Eamon Hollis then. "I'll be taking Captain Hollis with me. While I'm directing this campaign, he'll be commanding our troops."

Captain Hollis looked surprised at first, but then he composed himself and saluted. "Yes sir!"

Preston rubbed his temples. He was not liking where all this was going now. He didn't want to be in charge of everything. He really didn't. It just didn't feel right. But Nate clapped his back and smiled. "No one's saying you can't be an active leader. If you want to get out there in the field, Preston… Who's gonna stop you?" And Preston gave him a weak chuckle. He had a point there.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

The General looked around again. "Alright, that concludes things for now. Everyone, you have your orders. As for me, I'll hopefully be meeting with Ingram soon. Then I'm going to get in touch with Mayor Sullivan and Hancock, get everyone to meet and pitch them this expedition. Hopefully they'll see the need for it and ask for volunteers to join us. Hollis, pass your duties over to a subordinate and get to Lexington, we'll use her as a staging area for our forces. I want this expedition ready to go in two months, understood?"

Captain Hollis acknowledged his orders. "Understood, sir." He turned to leave.

Nate gestured for everyone else to leave as well. "Dismissed." As they all got out of their seats and began gathering up their papers and reports, conversing quietly among themselves, Nate went around the room and touched Doctor Li on the arm, drawing her attention. "I'd like to speak to you privately." As soon as the scientist agreed, Nate left the room.

On the battlements of the Castle, the Sole Survivor sighed as he stared out at the endless ocean ahead of him. Madison soon appeared behind him, climbing up the metal stairs. "Nathaniel?"

Nate turned to face her. "Madison." He smiled, gesturing for her to join him.

"What is it?" Dr. Li spoke softly, wondering if this was about her suggestion to use nuclear weapons. It wasn't.

"This campaign is going to be dangerous, even with all the assets we're putting into the field." He spoke, looking back out at the horizon, where one of Commodore Barrett's ships were patrolling the waters. "I want to bring one more thing with us."

And Madison realized just what he wanted. She hadn't really expected this, especially not after everything that had happened. Even with the Institute destroyed, there were still a great deal of technology and assets recovered from the Institute. And though many of the surviving synths had left, seeking a new purpose or searching for a new life. The Railroad had their hands busy back then with that, though more than a fair number of them had apparently gone northeast, all the way to Maine. There were still some synths in storage. Synths considered too dangerous to be let loose. "Which one?"

He looked at her then, entirely serious. "X6-88."

"Nathaniel… There's a reason we shut down all the Coursers." The Director began.

Nate looked at her again, acknowledging just what she was trying to say. "I know, Madison. I know. If the circumstances were different, I wouldn't do this. But we need an ace in the hole."

She raised her eyebrow at that. "A what?"

The General chuckled. "Poker terminology. Means something advantageous you want to keep hidden until you need it."

And that, Madison understood. "Ah! A trump card, you mean."

"Something like that, yeah." Nate smiled. "Think about it. The Gunners are going to be expecting MInutemen. They'll be expecting people. Flesh and blood. Not circuits and components. Even if we have Super Mutants and Brotherhood with us, it's not enough of an edge. They both bring advantages of their own, yes, but…"

Madison smiled. She knew just what he meant. "They're more or less straightforward. And you need something more discreet."

The General chuckled then. "Exactly! Let's put it this way… Those Super Mutants? They're like a sledgehammer, smashing everything flat against the anvil."

"And your Minutemen are the anvil." Madison guessed then.

"That's right. And the Brotherhood? A scalpel that operates with surgical precision." Nate looked away, thinking once more about the atrocities the Institute had perpetuated with the Coursers. Had Shaun known? Or was that just another bit of dirty business kept away from Father's attention? Maybe. Somehow Nate felt as if he would never know. But the Coursers could still be useful, that much he knew. He looked at Madison again. "I need more alternatives than just straightforward ones." Nate smiled then. "I need something discreet."

Madison was quiet for a time. Then she returned his gaze. "You know, you remind me so much of another man I used to know, back in the Capital Wasteland."

Nate tilted his head, confused at the sudden change of subjects. "Yeah? Who was he?"

The scientist sighed, a rueful smile on her lips. "He was… Oh, just a lone stranger, wandering a vast world." She had often wondered what had become of that young man. In all the time since the day she had last seen him, Madison often wondered whenever he was still alive. His father had been a brilliant scientist himself, a genius really. But the son was something else entirely.

Just like Nathaniel Howard... Ainsley Rovere had been someone who could work miracles and accomplish the impossible.

The Lone Wanderer had been more than just a mere man. He had been a legend. Larger than life. And Madison knew that if he was still alive, if he knew what Maxson had done to the Brotherhood of Steel, what he had done to the Capital Wasteland, what he had done to the Commonwealth… He would have brought Maxson down himself. But he had never been the same since the day Sarah Lyons died. He had just wandered into the wasteland one day, never to be seen again. The General squeezed her shoulder before turning and walking away.

"Reactivate X6-88. I want to talk to him myself."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Greetings again! Wasn't planning to do another chapter so soon, but yeah, figured since I got plenty of time now, why the hell not?_

 _So war's coming! I was never happy with how little there seemed to be done with the Gunners. I mean, they were the biggest bunch of raiders in the Commonwealth, yeah? And yet, there never seemed to be anyone higher up the ranks than Captain Wes. Other than Colonel Cypress, and he only got mentioned in Nuka World. So... I figured, why not make them the first villains of the story? It's also a great way to step outside the Commonwealth and see the rest of post-apocalyptic America!_

 _Anyway! Ainsley Rovere, obviously, is my version of the Lone Wanderer. He's going to be as close to canonical as possible, but with a few key differences. He'll definitely be showing up in the story. The question is... When?_

 ** _Rexxxar_** _, thank you! I hope the story doesn't disappoint!_

 ** _Paladin_** _**Bailey** , thank you as well! I agree, the whole idea of a government being put together, a civilization rising from the ashes? That's always been something I found really intriguing myself, and... Well, Nate and his Minutemen are the perfect vessel to make that story happen! I honestly did consider revealing the NCR to the Commonwealth early on, but... I felt that would have been too fast. It's only the third chapter, after all. Plenty of things to get through before the story moves west! :D But you are definitely right, the Elders won't be too happy at all with Maxson. Question is, are they gonna be disappointed with the Minutemen as well? As for the Enclave... The Lone Wanderer put an end to them. They ain't coming back. -suspicious cough- Not at all. Nooooo, no way. No chance. It's not like they have hidden bases elsewhere, like Chicago. ;) All the same, I hope you enjoy where I take the story! Ad Victoriam, brother!_

 _And to **everyone else** , my continued thanks for reading! I appreciate it!_


	4. Striking Deals

**Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 4 - Striking Deals**

* * *

" _Human nature is complex. Even if we do have inclinations toward violence, we also have inclination to empathy, to cooperation, to self-control."_

 _Steven Pinker, Canadian Psychologist_

" _The power of one, if fearless and focused, is formidable. But the power of many working together is better."  
\- Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Filipino Professor and Politician_

" _We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and unite the civilized world against insidious Communist terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth."_

 _Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States_

* * *

It was dark.

Deep within the bowels of what remained of the Mechanist's Lair, abandoned for a time after the incident with Isabella Cruz' and her misguided crusade, the General made his way into the lowest levels, accompanied only by Dr. Madison Li and two of her technicians.

Despite butting heads with all the dangers of the Wasteland, even the Sole Survivor couldn't get over his unease at being back here. Being here, it was always...

Creepy.

Ever since the Mechanist's defeat, the facility had been abandoned and picked clean, every robot and machine in it salvaged and dismantled, every bit of circuit suspect and every shred of technology deemed dangerous.

After the last of the Mechanist's rogue creations had been put down, the robobrains that had assisted Cruz in her campaign had all ended up destroyed. They were, after all, much too unstable to be left alone.

Furthermore, the General did not think their existence an enviable one and ordered them all permanently shut down.

In the aftermath of the Institute's destruction, though... He had the facility quietly turned over to Madison, who then restored enough of it to serve as a tomb of sorts for the Institute's most dangerous creations, especially the Coursers.

The Coursers.

There weren't many of them left. Enough to pose the same threat as before. Enough to resurrect the fear of the Institute. Enough to necessitate their indefinite imprisonment.

Until now.

The General stood aside as Dr. Li and her people began the task of bringing up one of the Coursers and reactivating him. He had mixed feelings about all of this. These were his son's finest creations. In a way, they were Father's only children, built and based all around his genetic information, his very DNA.

In a way, that made them Nate's as well. Or rather, his grandchildren. He uttered only a rueful chuckle at the thought.

The General was lost in thought for a time, until Madison brought him out of his reverie, informing him that the Courser he requested was ready to see him. Nate nodded before stepping into the central room, one where X6-88 sat waiting for him in an old office chair. He brought himself up in front of the Courser, pulled the .44 Magnum out of its arm holster and held up the handcannon up to X6-88's forehead. Nate stared down the barrel of his weapon, faintly recalling that the last owner of this gun had been the man who murdered his wife.

Conrad Kellogg.

And with it, he had killed his first Courser all those years ago, searching for a way to locate the Institute and get inside. Up until that point, Nate had never run into anyone more tougher than Z2-47. He had thought he was going to die so many times in such a short space of time. But military training and experience had prevailed.

"Sir?" The Courser looked up at Nate then, betraying no sign of discomfort at the sight of the weapon. "Requesting a situation update. I assume that some time have passed since the last time I was active."

The General remained stony-faced. "That's an understatement, X6-88."

He looked up at Madison then, who nodded from her terminal. She would shut down the Courser if he tried anything. And there were plenty of interior security in place and active, just in case. Between all of that and his own combat skills, the General was confident he'd survive if the Courser decided to terminate him.

"It's been eight years." Nate began, his weapon still trained on the Courser. "The Institute is defunct. Father is-" Then he stopped. He was quiet for a time then. It still felt unreal to say it out loud.

That his son was gone.

"Dead." X6-88 concluded. "Any survivors?"

"Some. The ones that surrendered, we relocated them across the Commonwealth. They may not enjoy the same standards as they once did, but they had the opportunity to live as productive citizens under Minuteman protection. Many have integrated pretty well among our people. We're still keeping an eye on them, though."

"And the ones that didn't surrender?"

Nate stared at him then. "As the Institute represented a clear and present danger to our way of life and everything the Minutemen built... We went with the nuclear option. The Institute is now a crater. That's all that needs to be said."

X6-88 went quiet then, processing this information. Then he looked up at the General of the Minutemen. "Why wake me up then?"

"Because I got a job for the Coursers." Nate lowered his weapon then. "Riddle me this, who is your superior?"

"Father." The Courser stated.

"Father is dead. Who is your superior?"

X6-88 took a while to answer then, but once he did, it was enough to put Nate's concerns at ease for now. "Protocol dictates that if Father is deceased, authority passes on to the Directors until a new Father is chosen."

"Father is dead. The Institute is defunct. There are no more Directors." Nate retorted then. This was the moment he was waiting for then, and if his suspicions were correct, it could only end one way. "What then?"

X6-88 went quiet again. Then he looked over at Madison, then at Nate. "Answer to the nearest figure of authority."

Nate smiled.

The Courser cocked his head then, "Who is the nearest figure of authority?"

"Nathaniel Howard, Minuteman General," Nate answered.

X6-88 stood up then. "Understood. What are my orders?"

The General smiled again, though he still felt some discomfort at the idea of having the Coursers close to him. It would be crucial for his upcoming campaign, however. "We're going to war, buddy." He looked at Madison then. "Start reactivating the rest of them. X6-88 here will help you bring the Coursers up to speed on the situation."

X6-88 nodded then. "Rest assured, Doctor Li."

Madison gave the two of them a nod. "All right then. Let's get to work, X6-88. We have a lot to do." She returned to her terminal as the Courser began walking toward her.

The General sighed then. "Easy bit's over with. Now, for the hard bit..."

East Boston. The Preparatory School.

It was a place that saw little use ever since eight years ago, when the Sole Survivor had barged into the School on the behalf of Kessler and Bunker Hill.

Judge Zeller had been a real piece of shit, brainwashing and brutalizing the raiders under his command into fanatical soldiers. But no amount of fanaticism could overcome a squad of well-trained and determined Minutemen led by both the General and Preston Garvey.

Nate had taken point, despite yet more of Preston's objections, and led the two fireteams into the building.

Preston, leading one of the fireteams, began the task of cleaning out the adjacent rooms as Nate kept the raiders distracted. The other fireteam, under the command of Bristol Ward, had broken their way into the auditorium to deal with yet more raiders. Bristol, operating one of the salvaged suits of Power Armor, had laid down suppressing fire from his Rockwell CZ53 minigun, allowing his team to quickly flank to raiders.

In doing so, they had secured the Minutemen's rear and enabled Preston's team to continue their flanking sweep.

And once the lower floors had been cleared out, both fireteams converged on the top floor and began closing in on Zeller and what few raiders remained to him. They had died for their judge, but the bastard was a coward himself and surrendered as soon as he saw no hope of escaping alive.

The Judge ended up being taken in and held as a prisoner by Bunker Hill, as an example to be made. There, Zeller remained until work on Spectacle Island began, where the Penitentiary was established, and there he became its first prisoner.

All this, the General recalled as he sat on the stage inside the auditorium.

The place had been cleared out in recent times, stripped bare, with every available material taken. Now, it was just an empty building, occasionally used by caravans and convoys to hole up inside for the night.

And now, it would be used as the meeting place for the Minutemen and the Outcasts of Steelport.

Major Teagan was with him, along with two companies of Minutemen, one deployed around East Boston to secure the perimeter and maintain privacy, and the second deployed throughout the building as a precaution.

It was a show of force, naturally. One meant to remind the Outcasts of who had defeated the Brotherhood years ago. And while it might have seemed a tad bit unnecessary, the General was determined to deal with the Outcasts from a position of strength.

Especially if he meant to turn over something as valuable as a Vault to them.

Just as the evening sky began to darken, there came a clamor from outside as the General perked up. He could tell from the distinct sound that it was the signature noise of Power Armor. And true to his expectation, Knights in Power Armor entered the auditorium, carrying mostly laser weapons though one was hefting along a flamethrower. Unlike the flamers he often saw around Boston and the outlying areas, the flamethrower was much larger and attached to a fuel tank strapped onto the Knight's back.

Nate hopped off the stage and approached the newcomers as he saw a familiar sight among them, a woman marching in behind her Knights, riding the familiar Power Armor frame that served as her legs.

"Protector Ingram," Nate offered her a salute, ignoring the hard glares he was receiving from many of the Outcasts. Even the ones in Power Armor were glaring at him, he was sure. "It's good to see you again."

Ingram grunted before returning the greeting. "Many would have preferred we didn't hear you out."

"No doubt." The General nodded, that much he could expect. "Bad blood and all."

The Protector just gave him a look instead, one that said that she didn't find it funny to make light of the entire conflict between the two of them.

She had been Protector for only five years now, having succeed two others before her. The first Protector, formerly a Knight-Captain by the name Larsen, had perished in a firefight against Super Mutants, an incident that had prompted the Minutemen to focus on them for a time. The second Protector, Paladin Lord Sorenson who returned from beyond the Commonwealth on a special mission for Maxson, had tried to attempt a guerrilla campaign against the Minutemen and began with an assassination attempt on Nate's life.

Instead, Ingram had the man arrested and turned over to the General as a sign of their continued neutrality. As unpopular as Sorenson had been, Ingram was well respected by her people and many chose her to command them after Sorenson.

And in the five years since then, Ingram had served as an excellent Protector, drawing up plans for the Wall and supervising its construction. Under her command, the Outcasts had transformed the Boston Airport into a fortress hardened against external attacks, while squads were sent out to maintain outposts and continue their original duty, collecting and cataloguing technology.

They had done pretty well for themselves, Nate had to admit.

From what he could remember, there were at least eight other bases for the Outcasts on both sides of the river, scattered throughout Cambridge and Boston. In Boston, Wilson Atomatoys HQ, Hesters Consumer Robotics, Hallucigen Inc, and especially Faneuil Hall, where Larsen had died, had all been captured and secured. In Cambridge, the Police Station had remained under their control, while Cambridge Polymer Labs, Kendall Hospital, and Greentech Genetics were all acquired.

That the Outcasts would willingly sacrifice all these gains in exchange for the Switchboard, or actually consider pulling out of the Commonwealth, spoke volumes to the General.

"Let's not screw around, Nathaniel." Ingram lumbered even closer, approaching the General as her escort hung back then.

Nate nodded. No messing around then. "You want the Switchboard."

"We do," Ingram confirmed. "It's critical for our continued survival in the Commonwealth. A proper Chapter has to be established." There was no point in beating around the bush. Everyone knew how precarious the situation was for the Outcasts, and to continue existing due to the protection of the Minutemen was... humiliating.

"I can't give you the Switchboard." The General countered. Ingram bristled then, only to be interrupted by Nate. "The Switchboard is the property of the Railroad. And one of the conditions for the Railroad's disbandment was that the Switchboard never be used again, by either the Minutemen or anyone else. To violate that compromises the integrity of the Minutemen."

The Protector glared at him then. But Nate wasn't rattled, not after going over his proposal with Major Teagan to get a Brotherhood perspective on it.

"How about a Vault instead?" The General shrugged.

Ingram was quiet then, though she couldn't mask the surprise on her face. Then she answered. "A Vault? You're willing to turn over Vault 111 to us?"

"No." Nate quickly shot that down. "Not Vault 111." Not that Vault. No, that one was personal. It was a tomb. But more than that, it was a memorial. Not only to his wife but to the world he had come from. "Vault 95. It's located on the fringe, just near the Glowing Sea." He held up something scrolled up in his hand. "Blueprints to the Vault."

Ingram took them then and unscrolled the blueprints, looking over the Vault. It was a sizable one. "The condition?"

"Lived in." Nate chuckled. "It was held by Gunners when we mounted an offensive on them. There'll be plenty of repairs to make and it'll take some time before the Vault's operating at peak efficiency, but it's still operational and in good shape, especially the Vault door. Vault 95 is currently sealed, but I have all the passcodes you'll need to unseal and operate the Vault." Then he crossed his arms. "There's plenty of wrecked robots too, courtesy of both the Rust Devils and the Mechanist. Seemed more convenient to toss all of them into a Vault no one was using, but hey, call it a bonus."

The Protector scrolled up the blueprints and looked at Nate then. A Vault was certainly a far better option than the Switchboard, far more secure, and having access to a stockpile of robots and machines? Even better.

They could even repair those machines and augment their diminished manpower with robotic firepower. Ingram looked over at Teagan then. No doubt the man had something to do with this proposal. It was a good one and covered many of the needs the Outcasts had. She looked back at the General. "And you'll allow us to continue patrol the Commonwealth, recover and catalogue any technology we find?"

"Yes, if you agree to several conditions." Nate smiled, knowing she had already decided on the Vault.

"Such as?" The Protector inquired.

"One, any technology in the possession of civilians will remain in their keeping, unless they choose to surrender or sell said technology. If we find out that you've forcibly taken even a single sensor module, I'll finish the job we began seven years ago. My fight is with Maxson, not the Brotherhood, and not you Outcasts."

Ingram glared at him for several long moments before nodding. "Agreed."

"Two, I am establishing a Minuteman outpost at Somerville Farm, to serve as liaison between us and your Chapter. If there are problems between your Chapter and any settlement, you will bring it up with our liaison there." Nate returned the glare with one of his own. "No frontier justice, no acts of vigilance. All requests and grievances will be heard out by our representative and we will prioritize them over everything else."

The Protector nodded again. That much was to be expected. "Agreed."

"Third, in exchange for establishing an official Chapter, you will surrender all bases and outposts under Outcast control in Cambridge and Boston. They are a constant sore point among the citizens of the Commonwealth and only serve to remind them of Maxson's actions from eight years ago. You may take everything of value with you but the outposts must all be abandoned."

Sighing, Ingram did not really want to sacrifice all these gains her people had made, but with a Vault as their base, there was honestly little need for both these outposts and Steelport. That and she could not fault the Sole Survivor for this precaution, not when it was Maxson's fault in the first place. "Agreed." The word was more a snarl than anything else.

"And finally, you have in your possession an item of high value. I would like you to transfer said item into Minuteman control."

The Protector tilted her head then. "What item?"

"A synth by the name of Danse." Nate stated simply. He knew the man had been languishing in a Brotherhood cell ever since it had been discovered that he was a synth. He had tried fleeing, with the help of Haylen, but he had ended up caught and brought to Maxson. It was only because the Sole Survivor had intervened that the Elder decided against executing Danse, locking him up instead to be studied, see whenever a better method could be found to separate synths from humans.

And following Maxson's defeat, he had ended up forgotten, a prisoner in one of Cambridge Police Station's cells.

"Danse, while a synth, is still an exceptional soldier and a first rate officer." Nate explained. "I'm planning a preemptive campaign against the Gunners. Put an end to the threat they represent to the Commonwealth. And that calls for someone with tactical genius."

"Something." Ingram corrected. She sighed again, wondering if that was really what it is, or whenever the man just wanted a friend back. Then again, if he had wanted his companion back, he would have taken him back seven years ago after the Brotherhood's defeat. "All right. You can have Danse. We have no further use for the synth anyway."

The General grinned. "Excellent. Now, let's get to the next bit of business here."

Ingram looked at him then.

"You're pulling out of the Commonwealth." Nate stated simply. "That's why you're looking to establish a Chapter here, maintain a Brotherhood presence. You're going back to the Capital Wasteland, aren't you?"

She gave him only a stony stare. "And if I am?"

"The Gunners are just one of the many threats we have to worry about. Crushing what's left of the Gunners is a priority for me, but it's not my true goal." The General explained. "The Gunners are in my way. That's all there is to it."

Then it dawned on Ingram, along with Major Teagan who realized what his superior was getting at. "You're going after Maxson."

"Maxson." Nate repeated. "The man represents a clear danger to the Commonwealth. He may be defeated, but he is still the Elder. He still can draw on the resources of the Capital Wasteland. He still has an army loyal to him." He gave Ingram a look then. "You know the kind of man Arthur is. He'll come back to erase the stain of his defeat. Even if it means throwing yet more Brotherhood lives into the grinder."

Ingram sighed. "You're not wrong about that."

Nate nodded. "I know. Which is why I'm taking four companies of Minutemen with me, along with mercenaries and volunteers. Having Brotherhood firepower and expertise on our side would certainly be a godsend." He grinned, giving Ingram a shrug.

And finally, the woman chuckled. "Again, you're not wrong about that." She looked back at her fellow Outcasts, then back at Nate. "All right, what's the deadline?"

"In about... A little less than two months."

"So soon?" Ingram remarked.

Nate smiled. "Best to strike while the iron's hot. Besides, the sooner the better, right? Two months' enough time for you to get your Chapter set up, put together your forces, and prepare for the journey. I'll be marching my troops from Lexington, make the rounds throughout the Commonwealth, and we can link up once the procession makes its way past Vault 95."

"Procession?" Ingram tilted her head then, unsure as to what the General meant by that.

"Think of it as a parade." Nate grinned. "This kind of campaign, it's the first ever the Commonwealth has ever seen. Gives the people a sense of pride, knowing that they're part of something bigger than just..." He stopped, trying to figure out just how to explain it. "Up until now, the people have lived a hard life. Raiders. Mutants. Synths. Many of them have never even left the settlement they were born in. And a lot of them have done so much traveling that they know there's no place that's really safe. But it's different now. The Commonwealth is safer than it was eight years ago. There are more people. More farms. More towns. Everyone knows the Minutemen are what's keeping them all safe, but... Think about the Brotherhood, Ingram. They're an army without a country. So are the Minutemen now. But that's not a good thing."

Ingram listened in silence as she stared at the man in front of her. She could understand what he was getting at with the Brotherhood. Establishing a state that was subordinate to the army was what had created a fascist like Arthur Maxson.

But if it was the other way around...

"The Commonwealth is held together through an alliance of the cities. When the people see the strength of that alliance, they'll know that they're part of something bigger. " Nate smiled again. "These people have tried building a country together once. The Institute put an end to that. I'm going to help them try again, and God willing, it'll work this time."

The Protector nodded. She couldn't blame the man for wanting to try.

After all, if anyone could pull it off, it would certainly be the Sole Survivor. And more than anyone else in the Commonwealth, the man had the experience and knowledge to pull it off.

"I wish you luck in that endeavor then." Ingram turned and began walking toward the exit, her Knights already extracting themselves.

With the Outcasts leaving, Major Teagan came up beside Nate and looked at his superior. "You left that bit out back at the Castle." He began, adopting an accusatory tone that made it clear that he didn't approve of being tricked like that.

The General turned his head to the side. "My proposal would have been shot down before I had a chance to argue its merits."

That, Teagan couldn't argue with. "Fair enough. Think you really can take this all the way to the Capital Wasteland?"

Nate chuckled. "You heard the Protector. Lady luck's on my side." He clapped Teagan on the back and gestured toward the exit as well. "Come on, we got a crapload of things to do. You get your ass over to Lexington, I need to visit Goodneighbor and Diamond City next."

And the two left, joined by their Minutemen outside.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Nothing to say here. Move along to the next chapter, onward!_


	5. Meeting of the Minds

**Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 5 - Meeting of the Minds**

* * *

" _I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves."_

 _Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States._

" _The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country."_

 _Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States_

" _If you want to see the fate of democracies, look out the windows."_

 _Robert Edwin House, President and CEO of the New Vegas Strip_

* * *

It really wasn't easy being the General, but there were times when it was well worth it.

After a quick journey from East Boston to County Crossing, where a sizable Minutemen presence could be found alongside a growing settlement that had become prosperous in the last few years due to the Minutemen securing and repairing the old Training Yard for the National Guard, retrofitting it into a boot camp of sorts for the Minutemen on Nate's orders, the General and his convoy crossed into Bunker Hill, where he met up with a number of influential merchants and caraveneers, including Old Man Stockton.

Then he met with Kessler, filling her in on his plan and getting her feedback on it. The meeting took longer than he had planned but it had gone better than expected.

After that, it was only a short journey into Boston proper, albeit a journey interrupted on two occasions where the Minutemen had to deal with one of the last remnants of raiders in the area and put down an ambush by Mirelurks that had begun nesting near the bridge.

It didn't take long for the Minutemen companies to make their way into Goodneighbor territory, then into Goodneighbor herself, one of the major members of the alliance that had kept the Commonwealth safe for the better part of a decade now.

Among all the cities and settlements of the Commonwealth, Goodneighbor, along with Diamond City, Bunker Hill, Lexington, and Quincy, made up the 'Big Five'. That made her one of the most important cities in the new world that Nate was trying to build now.

Still, Nate couldn't help but feel that despite all the advances they had made in the eight years since rebuilding the Minutemen, there was always more trouble on the horizon. But it was, for the most part, straightforward.

Uncomplicated.

The Brotherhood Outcasts were no longer a major point of contention. That would certainly put the Commonwealth's alliance at ease. But because of his upcoming war with the Gunners, the situation was no longer simple.

And Hancock knew it.

"It ain't that simple," the ghoul grinned at Nate from his couch, a shot glass in one hand. "Pushin' this war of yours? Boy, oh boy, there's a whole slew of issues to mess with."

The General chuckled. Straight to the point, as usual. "True. But then again, John... When has anything worth doing ever been simple?"

Hancock snorted. "That's some serious bull you got there, Nate." He downed the alcoholic contents of his glass, savoring the burn as it made its way down his throat. "But let's get real here, man."

Nate gestured for him to continue.

"Another war with the Gunners is one thing but that's well beyond Commonwealth limits. It's, what, all the way down in..." He motioned for the General to supply the answer.

"Fall River." Nate smiled.

"Huh. Ain't that some piece of providence, eh?."

"That's Rhode Island."

"Oh," Hancock shrugged then, "No fun and games for Lonesome Rhode then."

"Biggest little state in the Union," Nate grinned. "But yeah, Fall River is where their boss is holed up in. There's Gunners along the way, but the majority of their manpower is tied up in maintaining Gunner control of all their territory around Fall River."

"Uh huh," Hancock waved that aside, "And once the Gunners are all shot up, you're planning on crossing into Lonesome Rhode."

"Rhode Island," Nate corrected with a smile.

"Thank you but I prefer it my way."

The General shrugged, conceding the point. "Yeah, once we finish the Gunners off, we'll be moving up toward Providence, then hug the coastline until we cross into Connecticut. After that, it's on to New York City then New Jersey."

"New York. Heard that place's a crater." Hancock grunted.

"Maybe, maybe not. If it is, I'll just have to find another place to cross. By sea, if necessary." Nate shrugged. "Then it's a straight shot from Newark to Philadelphia." He pulled out a cigarette from his pack, lit it up and took a puff on the aged tobacco. "After that, Wilmington. Then Elkton and Aberdeen, all the way to Baltimore."

Hancock cocked his head. "And after that?"

"Washington." Nate smiled. "The Capital Wasteland."

Hancock sighed then. "That kind of war, Nate... It's risky as hell." The ghoul poured some more rum into his shot glass. "The Brotherhood of Steel there still has plenty of manpower. Weapons. Resources. If you're taking the fight to Maxson, he's going to be able to leverage the Capital Wasteland against you."

The General nodded. There was no getting around that fact. "You're right. I'm going to need plenty of support... Forward operating bases. Supply lines. The works."

"Hard to pull off when you're in the Capital Wasteland and we're all the way back here in the Commonwealth, I'd imagine." Hancock remarked.

Nate remained quiet then.

He knew what Hancock was getting at. There was really no way around this. The only thing there was here was to get Hancock on board. And even then, that was a crapshoot with Hancock. The man, make that ghoul, valued his independence more than anything else.

Though Nate couldn't blame him for that.

"Wiping the Gunners out," Hancock continued, "that's going to leave a power vacuum."

The General nodded. "It will."

And Hancock stared at him. "And you're trying to fill it with the Minutemen."

"Yes." Nate answered.

The ghoul sighed. "That is some heavy shit right there, Nate. You're not talking about starting a war. This kind of thing..." He downed the contents of his shot glass then. "You're talking about building an empire. Aren't we just trading one tyrant for another here?"

Nate smiled. Leave it to Hancock to be so melodramatic. Although, he had to admit that Hancock had a flair for it. "Because we're not the Gunners. We're the Minutemen. We're the good guys. We help people. We protect them from all the dangers of the wasteland. We defend them from the tyranny of others. We bleed so that they don't have to. We die so that their loved ones stay safe."

Hancock opened his mouth then, only for Nate to cut him off.

"Building an empire? Nah. That's not my goal here. This alliance has endured for eight years now. For all intent and purpose, the Commonwealth has been a provisional government. I'm going to use this war to transform the Commonwealth into a real country."

The ghoul was quiet for a time, digesting all of this. Then he sighed. "Of the people?"

Nate chuckled then. "For the people," he continued. "The Commonwealth is safe and secure. But the Commonwealth is not America."

"America's dead, Nate." Hancock shrugged. "Buried underneath all the ashes and ruins of the old world."

"It's a brave new world, Hancock." The General grinned. "And a brave new country needs a brave new president."

At that, Hancock raised his eyebrow.

"President? You're asking me to be the fucking President here?" He snorted then. "Listen, I became mayor of Goodneighbor for a certain kind of bull, courtesy of Diamond City, but... That's a serious promotion there."

"Hey," Nate started with a grin, holding his cigarette away from his mouth, "Garvey walked into my town one day and promoted me straight to General. President's not that much higher up."

"All the same, Nate..." Hancock stared him down.

"Relax, old man."

"You're the old man here, remember?" Hancock replied, a smile on his ghoulified lips.

Nate chuckled at that, he had a point there. "Touche. All the same, Hancock..." He countered, before taking a puff on his cigarette, "It's not a promotion, because I'm not handing you the job. Nah, you and me, Hancock... We're both believers in democracy, aren't we? Of the people, for the people, and all that jazz."

Hancock nodded. "That we are, Nate. That we are." Then he realized just what Nate was getting at. "Hang on..."

Nate laughed at that. "That's right. Can't have a democracy without some voting, right?"

The ghoul snorted. "That's true, but... You're asking me to run?"

"Yup," the General nodded.

"I'm assuming you're asking others as well?"

Nate nodded again. "Talked to Kessler about this. Wanted her take on it. Not only did she like the idea but she wants to run as well, so that's two competitors now, if you're in. I'm headed over to Diamond City now, to talk to Mayor Sullivan. I've also asked for Gwen McNamara, the Overseer of Vault 81, and Blake Abernathy, one of the biggest brahmin barons around these parts, to join us as well."

"No shit?" Hancock placed down his shot glass. The ghoul held up his hand then, extending a finger for every name Nate wanted in the running. "Kessler, she's going to be big on trading. Sullivan's a bright kid. He's tough, but fair, no matter who he's dealing with. Gwen's got experience at making all the different bits work together for everyone. Blake, I'm guessing that makes him the agricultural option. And there's me, the outsider. You sure got plenty of options for the people, haven't you?"

Nate grinned. "Diversity's a good thing, no?"

Hancock sighed. "I ain't big on bureaucracy, Nate. But... It's been eight years. Wasn't sure the alliance was a great idea, wasn't even sure if it'd stick, but... It's holding. Guess this is just the next logical step."

The General tilted his head then. "So... You're in?"

Hancock nodded. "Yeah, I'm in. Not gonna be happy if I win it, but hell yeah, I'm in."

Nate grinned then. "Good." He stood up then, crushed what was left of his cigarette in the dirty ashtray, and looked down at Hancock. "I've got myself a meeting in Diamond City, so why don't you get your ass to Lexington. Kessler's going to be heading over there herself, and so will everyone else who's interested. Once we're all together, we'll start figuring out all the details for the election, how long it's gonna take, what's allowed and what isn't, the works."

Hancock stood up as well. "Yeah. Yeah, no problem, I'll do that."

The two shook hands then, before the General took off, whistling softly to himself. Now it was time to get to Diamond City. Then a short stop at Cambridge Police Station, on the way to Lexington.

* * *

In the eight years since his first time coming to Diamond City, Nate always found himself taken back by how much the city had transformed, almost as if a testament to what the Sole Survivor had said in his first interview with Piper Wright, the intrepid reporter of Publick Occurrences.

In many ways, Diamond City was a symbol of the enduring human spirit and how it could overcome all obstacles. A shining beacon for the rest of the Commonwealth to follow.

"The Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth," indeed.

While the Upper Stands were a constant eyesore, as far as Nate was concerned, the city had really changed since then.

In the aftermath of the Institute's destruction, Diamond City had become one of the largest recruiting centers for the Minutemen, going as far as to allow the Commonwealth's greatest heroes to set up a field office there, taking up the stands where Kellogg had made his home. The rapport between Diamond City and the Minutemen were at such a level that the city's guards and the Minutemen assigned there routinely trained and drilled together.

With so many refugees following the conflict between Maxson's Brotherhood and Nate's Minutemn, the city found its population doubling in size before they had to begin redirecting refugees toward Goodneighbor and Bunker Hill, then ultimately Lexington. But with so many refugees inside the Wall, it had a surprising effect on the city's election for her next Mayor. Many would have believed Geneva to win it, but by rallying the refugees and winning over the support of many of the merchants, Danny Sullivan had gone from being a glorified gatekeeper to a rising star in Diamond City politics.

And as Mayor, Danny Sullivan had made it his top priority to begin establishing new districts and redrawing all of the property lines in a fair exchange of wealth, something not very many were against as Diamond City also saw a dramatic increase in manpower and in turn prosperity. Many of the refugees ended up bolstering the city's security force as well as making a living as salvagers, sweeping through the Fens and Boston proper for junk, resources, and materials. There were so many refugees that the city ended up producing a much larger surplus of fresh food despite a much greater population.

Then came in the Minutemen's newest addition of Major Teagan and his specialists after the defeat of Maxson and his Brotherhood. New greenhouses were erected, the city's standards of living were enhanced even further, and the miniature lake within her limits was drained and replaced with a more efficient purification system that could keep up with the city's needs better.

The fact that Sheng had been offered a contract to head up the water purification operation over in Weston, after the Minutemen had routed the Super Mutants there and taken the facility back from the Mirelurks, certainly helped.

There was even a red light district now, because if nothing else proves a city's prosperity better than the marketing of prostitution, peep shows, and 'special services'...

And there was also the fact that over the years, the Wall was no longer the only defense Diamond City had now. With the help of the Minutemen and Mayor Sullivan's own experiences as a security guard, her defenses had been expanded on in a major way, with a second and third wall erected around Diamond City, with major checkpoints and all of the buildings within her new limits being secured and cleaned out.

Even the Boston Public Library now fell within Diamond City's new sphere of influence, serving as the new school for both the younger members of the city as well as providing night classes for adults looking to pick up trade skills or the like. All this while there were people in the process of slowly restoring the building to its original purpose and searching for all manner of books, even going as far as to transcribe and put together new books to replace the old ones, or make fresh copies of old manuals and magazines, all in the hope of rediscovering and passing on the lost knowledge of the old world. The new Curator even claimed to be a member of a similar group out west calling themselves the Followers of the Apocalypse, having come to the Commonwealth alongside Maxson's Brotherhood then staying behind after his defeat.

Yes, one could safely say that Diamond City was now the Commonwealth's largest city, in terms of both space and population.

Nate couldn't help but feel proud of having helped Diamond City complete such a startling transformation. He peered out the windows of the Mayor's office, scanning the city below him, watching as everyone went about their business. He briefly considered paying Nick Valentine a visit but it was very likely that the synth detective would be away on a case.

No time for that anyway.

He turned his head to the side at the telltale creak of the doors, where Blake Abernathy had just walked inside. Nate smiled as he greeted the prosperous landowner. Mayor Sullivan was already at his desk, going over his own papers, while Gwen McNamara of Vault 81 relaxed on a nearby couch, helping herself to some ice cold Nuka Cola.

"Mister Abernathy." Nate walked over to Blake and shook hands with him. "Glad you could make it here."

The farmer turned landowner smiled back. "Oh, anything for you, General. Like I say every time, we're all in debt to you for helping out when you did."

Nate smiled.

He recalled those days. They had been some of the earliest since stumbling out of Vault 111 and into a whole new world. He had met up with Preston and the Quincy survivors already when he had gone to Abernathy Farm on Preston's urging, hoping to procure some seeds so Sanctuary could start growing her own crops.

Instead, the Sole Survivor found a family frightened for their lives and mourning the loss of a loved one.

That had struck a chord with Nate and so he found himself making the trek to an old Air Force facility, USAF Station Olivia. To make a short story even shorter, the Sole Survivor pacified the entire facility, took everything of some use, and retrieved a locket for the Abernathys.

And over the year, Sanctuary and Abernathy Farm developed such close ties that the two settlements, along with Tenpines Bluff, became the original supporters of the new Minutemen under Preston Garvey and Nate Howard.

Such support brought benefits to the settlements as well, but none more so than Abernathy Farm, where Blake Abernathy was given the chance to carve out a much larger territory for himself, encompassing everything north and west of the Farm as far as the river between Sanctuary and another future settlement, Sunshine Co-op, and extending nearly as far to the south toward Drumlin Dinner. Both an increase in livestock and workers soon made Blake one of the most successful landowner in the region, and over the years he had leveraged that into making himself the Commonwealth's most prosperous brahmin baron, though the Finchs of Finch Farm were nearly just as successful.

Nate motioned for Blake to seat himself, who did so quickly, and clapped his hands for attention from everyone.

"First things first, I want to thank all of you for agreeing to meet with me here." He smiled at everyone around the room, who all nodded back. Though, they all knew that there was no chances of anyone present turning down a request from the savior of the Commonwealth.

And Danny was quick to point it out regardless, "You called, General, and we answered. Everyone in the Commonwealth owes you and the boys in blue their lives, and that's fact."

The General nodded. "Still couldn't have done it all without support from everyone, kid."

Gwen cleared her throat. "You called us all here for a reason, Mr. Howard..."

He chuckled and nodded, "I did, McNamara. It'll be public knowledge soon but... The Minutemen will be departing soon to wrap things up with the Gunners, who have massed south of here, in a preemptive campaign. The majority of my men will remain in the Commonwealth under Colonel Garvey's command, but I'll be leaving in a month's time. The Free Militia have agreed to support my campaign, as have the Brotherhood Outcasts, who are also withdrawing from the Commonwealth. I'll also be taking any man or woman willing to volunteer for the campaign."

Everyone was silent then, digesting everything they had just heard.

Then the Overseer spoke up. "And are you asking us to spread the word for volunteers?" She tilted her head then, "Did that really warrant a meeting with us?"

Nate smiled. "No. I've already spoken to Hancock of Goodneighbor and Kessler of Bunker Hill, and they've agreed to participate in a bold new experiment I've proposed." And Mayor Sullivan perked up then, intrigued by the prospect of something that had already received endorsements from both Goodneighbor and Bunker Hill.

The General grinned at this. "The alliance that has unified the Commonwealth, kept her safe for eight years now, has proven itself. I think it would be a fantastic idea to take it one step further. The last time something like this happened..."

Blake nodded, he remembered this. "The Commonwealth Provisional Government." Gwen looked over at him then, confused. This prompted the landowner to explain further. "Years ago, folks got the same idea as the General here. There was some big talk about forming an official government, but..."

And Danny snorted. "The Institute put an end to that. Slaughtered everyone there, matter of fact."

Blake shrugged. "Maybe they did. Maybe they didn't. Fact is, there was just too much distrust back then."

Gwen nodded, understanding now. She looked at the General then. "And you think the time is right to try that now?"

Nate smiled. "I do. I'm proposing an election in a year's time. A year to campaign, to spread the word, to prepare the Commonwealth for their first taste of democracy. Real democracy. The Commonwealth is real. What we've built together is real. But now..."

The General looked at everyone then, giving every single one of them a measured stare to let them know he was serious.

"... It's time to make it official."

Danny stared back at the General then, "Make it official how?"

Nate sat down then, looking back at Danny. "We've got mayors all over the Commonwealth. Overseers and landowners." He gestured toward Gwen and Blake respectively. "There's a lot of voices in the Commonwealth, kid. A hell of a lot. And it's time to give them someone who'll listen to all of them."

Gwen cleared her throat. "Are you proposing we elect a governor to, well... Govern the Commonwealth?"

"Close," Nate looked at her then. "We've got dozens of settlements. We've got a military force by way of the Minutemen. We have a growing navy. We have a prison. We've got a postal service going now. We have four different newspapers now. We've reclaimed cities. And we have a very sizable population here. What I'm proposing is this..."

He looked around at everyone again. "We vote for a President."

Gwen looked thoughtful then as she pressed a finger against her lips. Danny and Blake looked lost then, unsure of what the General meant, but the Overseer nodded then. "You're referring to the office of the Presidency, the highest office in the United States of America." She turned to the other two, noticing their confusion. "America was a pre-war nation, the most powerful in the world before the Great War. The Commonwealth we occupy, formerly the New England Commonwealth, was one of the thirteen Commonwealths that made up the United States of America. And at the highest level, the President governed over all of the United States, with a governor for each of the fifty states that comprised the United States."

Nate chuckled. "Spot on, teach." He turned his attention to Danny and Blake then. "But that's it in a nutshell. By electing a President to represent us all, we're transforming the Commonwealth from an alliance into a real country. By electing a President, we're giving the Commonwealth someone to rally around. By electing a President, we're taking a very important step forward."

Danny cocked his head then, staring at Nate. "So are you asking us to elect you as President then?"

"Nah," Nate grinned. "One, I'd make a bad President. Two, that makes the Commonwealth a military dictatorship, and trust me, those never works out. I mean, look at Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong."

Gwen piped in then. "Pre-war tyrants. Hussein was a Middle Eastern dictator. Jong was also a dictator, ruled North Korea with an iron fist."

And Blake tilted his head. "What's a North Korea?"

Nate chuckled as he waved the question aside. "Doesn't matter, doesn't exist anymore. My point was... I'm already the General of the Minutemen. I don't need to be the President too. That's too much power in one man's hands. Nah, it's important to have a system of checks and balance. Whoever becomes the President, I'll be answering to him or her."

The landowner sighed. "So what are you asking from us then?"

The Sole Survivor smiled. "I'd like to ask the three of you to throw your hats in the ring." He stood up then, "That is, I'd like for the three of you to run for President. Mayor Kessler of Bunker Hill and Mayor Hancock of Goodneighbor have agreed to run. Between the five of you, I think that presents the Commonwealth with a great deal of options."

Gwen nodded. She could see where he was going with this now. "Alice Kessler of Bunker Hill. John Hancock of Goodneighbor. Danny Sullivan of Diamond City. Blake Abernathy of Abernathy Farm. And me, of Vault 81. You're giving the people of the Commonwealth a choice in what they want from their leader."

And Blake chuckled then, seeing it now. "That's pretty clever of you, Mister Howard."

Danny grinned as well. "No kidding. I can see why you asked all of us. Kessler's good for trade. Mr. Abernathy here would be great for farming. And Miss McNamara over there, she's brilliant when it comes to administration. But why me and why Hancock?"

Nate shrugged. "Don't sell yourself short, kid. You might be younger than everyone else, but... I've seen what you've accomplished as Mayor. You're tough but fair, and more than anything, the President needs to be fair. He represents everyone, after all."

"And Hancock?" Danny continued.

The General grinned. "Hancock represents the outsider here. In this kind of government, there's always a real risk of the tyranny of the majority over the minority. Hancock will make sure the little people have their voice heard. More than anyone else, including me... Hancock is democracy personified."

Gwen cleared her throat again. "That's not all, is it? You asked all of us to run, but there can only be one President."

Nate nodded. "Correct. I'm hoping that, whoever becomes the President, the rest of you can support him, or her," he gestured toward Gwen then who nodded in return, "by becoming a part of his, or her, administration. Every President in history has always had their own staff to rely on, their own administrators."

She nodded again. "The Cabinet, a gathering of handpicked individuals chosen to serve as Secretary of their respective branch."

The General snapped his fingers then. "You got it again. Say Sullivan here wins the election and gets sworn in as our President, I think you'd make a brilliant Secretary of State for him, and Mister Abernathy here would make a great Secretary of Agriculture. Catch my drift?"

Everyone nodded then. It was an ingenious scheme, really. By dragging some of the brightest minds in the Commonwealth onto the stage, Nate was giving the people a choice in how they wanted their country to be managed, and no matter who won, the President would have a superb team to support him/her in that role.

Furthermore, with a President in office, the Commonwealth would become the first state in a new Union that Nate hoped would come to encompass the entire Eastern Coast.

Already, the Commonwealth reached as far as Maine. Now, with his upcoming war, it would reach all the way to the Capital Wasteland. Gwen McNamara hadn't been wrong when she brought up the idea of electing governors. Until the election was done and the President was sworn in, any and all territory Nate secured would be treated as pseudo-states under martial law. He was, in effect, establishing a military dictatorship that would stretch from the boundaries of the Commonwealth to those of the Capital Wasteland.

He was hoping that by getting a President elected, the Commonwealth would ratify any and all territory brought under Minutemen control into new member states for the Commonwealth, releasing the General from the burdensome task of managing them and allowing him to focus on his real target.

Maxson.

Nate grinned then. "So... A show of hands, who's interested in running for office?"

It was unanimous.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Hello, dear readers!_

 _I should be posting a bit more regularly now, hopefully. Personally, I'd like to try for once a week, at least. Maybe biweekly, if that's possible. No promises though!_

 _Pretty major step forward, wouldn't you say? The Outcasts are leaving the Commonwealth. The Minutemen are preparing for Nate's war against the Gunners. The Coursers are on the move. And now, an election for a President, the first on the East Coast since the Great War! I'm debating whenever to do a poll for you, the readers, to determine who will become the first President of a new Union, or just toss some dice and let Lady Luck decide herself! XD Let me know what you think about that._

 _Now, to answer reviewers:_

 ** _Ronin_** _ **Kenshin** , thank you! Glad to have you following!_

 ** _Paladin_ _Bailey_** _, glad to see you're still following! :)_

 ** _Sam Hill_** _, if you read my stand-alone story regarding the Lone Wanderer, you'll see that he's left the Brotherhood behind, along with the Capital Wasteland. However, my Lone Wanderer will be entering the story and playing a major role alongside the Sole Survivor against Maxson and his Brotherhood. :)_

 _As for the rest of you **anonymous guests** , my thanks for reading and reviewing! There's a couple things I wanna say as well._

 _One, the Courier will also be joining the story later down the road, but it will likely be as a major antagonist, as my version of the Courier is looking to replace Caesar as the new leader of the Legion, something that will likely put him at odds with the Lone Wanderer and the Sole Survivor._

 _Two, furthermore, in this universe, the Courier sided with the Legion, but there was on conclusive victory at the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. Instead, with the NCR and the Legion both in bad shape, New Vegas ended up becoming independent under the Courier for a short time, until he decided to leave for parts unknown. ( **READ AS:** The Courier did Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues, and Lonesome Road **AFTER** the Second Battle of Hoover Dam.)_

 _Three, I want to thank all of you for reading once more! Let me know how you like the latest chapter of BRAVE NEW WORLD! I'm always happy to hear what you think. :)_


	6. Salvaging The Past

**Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 6 - Salvaging the Past**

* * *

" _Either war is obsolete, or men are."_

 _R. Buckminster Fuller, American Architect_

" _A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom, for it is only when he is alone that he is really free."  
\- Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher_

"" _Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute, there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement, and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."_

 _George Santayana, Spanish Philosopher_

* * *

Nate stared out the window of his vehicle as it drove up the street past the abandoned ruins of the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, now a charred crater where the Institute was once buried away.

For him, it was still strange. Centuries ago, it was once one of the greatest centers of higher learning. A lifetime ago, it was where his son began a new life as the Institute's newest project. And eight years ago, he put an end to all of that.

Almost as if things had come full circle.

The Institute had been Shaun's life. And while he couldn't have accepted the son's mandate as Director, it had fallen upon the father to put an end to the ancient institution's darkest chapter. And the byproducts of the Institute?

The Super Mutants were no longer a major threat. The paranoia and fear that the Institute had labored tirelessly to instill in the Commonwealth were slowly being eroded away by the passage of time. And what of the Synth?

Most of all, the Synths that the Institute had put so much pride and focus into crafting and perfecting were now scattered for the most part. Many had simply disappeared into the desolate 'wilderness' of post-apocalyptic America. Some had fled to unknown parts, some had gone all the way to Arcadia in Far Harbor. There were surely some synths left in the Commonwealth attempting to pass for humans, whenever out of loyalty to their programming or due to some inexplicable need to survive that went beyond mere circuits and components, but there couldn't have been that many remaining.

After all, the last known incident of a synth being ousted had occurred little more than two years ago. And without the Railroad operating in the region, they had nearly no one left to turn to.

A great deal of them, though, ended up destroyed in the aftermath of the Institute's destruction. Many were sacrificed in the defense of the Institute. Many more were wrecked and scrapped by angry wastelanders. And yet many more, put down by the dispassionate Brotherhood of Steel under Maxson's command.

Of the few that survived and remained within Commonwealth limits, they were currently serving with the Minutemen as 'special assets' on the order of the General, working with individuals who did not mind them or could be trusted to keep their personal prejudices to themselves, or on duties that took them far away from the public eye.

For the most part, that meant they were either laboring under the care of Dr. Madison Li, who was accustomed to them, or Director Jonah Monroe, who did not turn down any opportunity, no matter how controversial.

And there were the Coursers, now in the process of attuning themselves to the fact that the Institute, their creators, were no longer functional and integrating themselves into the new power structure that now dominated the Commonwealth.

Nate's Minutemen.

There was still a degree of risk, the General knew that. But the benefits of having the Coursers was just too tempting to pass up. Not when ordinary synths, or what passed for ordinary anyway, were more than willing to accept the General as a new authority figure.

He was just glad the gambit had paid off. For now.

The vehicle, a M1025 Hummer they had salvaged from one of the derelict carriers out at sea, rumbled across the broken pavements before grinding to a halt just outside the Cambridge Police Station.

Nate stepped out of the passenger seat as his Minutemen escort, both riding with him in the Hummer and jumping out the back of the two military transport vehicles that had followed behind him, began taking up positions in their immediate surrounding. Having already been given standing orders to not interfere with the Outcasts or any sort of Brotherhood operation, the Minutemen took on the task of securing the area outside the Police Station and its established perimeter for their commander.

And so, Nate Howard stepped into the Police Station alone, quickly finding himself surrounded by Initiates and Knights, some Scribes, and one Paladin. The Paladin approached him then. "General," he spoke, acknowledging the man in front of him. "Protector Ingram has already alerted us to your purpose here."

Nate nodded. "Where is it?"

There was no need to be official here, not when the majority of the men and women here plainly hated him for what had happened.

The Paladin gestured to the hallway behind him. "In one of the cells. You know the way, I'm sure."

Nate merely gave him a small tight smile, there was truth in that. The General recalled the day he had come across what remained of a Brotherhood squad holed up in the Station, fighting off a horde of feral ghouls. After helping them survive the attack, he had found himself conscripted into aiding the Brotherhood recover some technology and carry out their original purpose here in the Commonwealth.

And as soon as the Prydwen had arrived, Cambridge Police Station was where Nate had gone to find out what the hell was happening. That had been the first time the General realized that his home, his new home, was in the process of being invaded.

Things had been somewhat pleasant as the General of the Minutemen met up with the Elder of the Brotherhood for the first time, the two quietly agreeing to work together toward a singular goal - Finding and bringing down the Institute.

But then the Brotherhood revealed just what they really were. An occupation force. Crops were levied. Facilities were raided. Technology were forcibly taken and catalogued. All in the name of saving Humanity, even from itself. Relationships grew strained even further as Brotherhood arrogance clashed with Minuteman authority. The fragile alliance Nate had spent nearly a year building up was being endangered by Elder Maxson's reckless drive to destroy all that was synthetic.

That tension had nearly erupted into open war between the Minutemen and the Brotherhood when Danse had been discovered to be a synth, sending Elder Maxson on the warpath. Only through the General's intervention and a standoff between Brotherhood forces and Minutemen had the Elder relented, choosing to accept Nate's request to spare Danse and refocus the Brotherhood's energies on discovering the Institute's location.

Of course, as the Elder spent fruitless hours in interrogating Danse, a strike force under Nate's command had made its way into the Mass Fusion building, where they recovered a Beryllium Agitator before it could be acquired by either the Brotherhood or the Institute.

That, as far as Nate was concerned, had been the best option possible as it prevented the Institute from activating their primary generator and resolving their energy issues _**and**_ the Brotherhood from maximizing the destructive potential of their military superweapon, Liberty Prime.

While stopping the Institute from achieving its full potential had been their top priority back then, beating the Brotherhood to it had really paid off later down the road as it enabled the Minutemen to fight back during the war against the Brotherhood, as they couldn't rely on their massive robot to deliver the knockout punch.

And with the entire Commonwealth rising up against them, the Brotherhood quickly lost ground and soon defeat and disgrace followed.

All this, Nate remembered as he made his way through the door, taking a right down the hallway, until he came out into the Police Station holding cells. All of them were empty, save for one.

"Nathaniel," came the voice within the locked cell.

The General stopped in front of the bars. "Paladin Danse." He stared then, down at the man, the synth that he had once called friend. Danse was dressed in absolutely nothing, as no doubt the Brotherhood saw little point in providing a synth with clothes. They would have seen as much point in it as dressing up a piece of furniture, albeit one that could move and talk. The former Paladin did not seem bothered by his nudity.

"Danse. Just Danse, please." The synth looked up at him then, his eyes filled with what looked like regret and sorrow and some sort of... determination? "I'm no longer with the Brotherhood of Steel, remember? And these... Outcasts... They do not want me either, though they seem to have no idea what to do with me."

"No, they don't," Nate agreed. "I have to say, Danse... I hate seeing you like this."

"What," Danse gave him a rueful smile then, "as a nobody? Sees appropriate, considering that was my origin story. Just another orphan in the Capital Wasteland." He looked away, his smile stretching into a sardonic grin. "Or did you mean the fact that I've been left here to rot, no use to anyone at all?"

Nate snorted then. "Nah, I meant you being naked. Making me feel insecure, just sitting there, man."

Danse looked back at the Sole Survivor, a blank stare on his face. Then he did something Nate had never seen him before. He burst out into laughter. The General grinned then. "Ah, Nate... You always did have a strange sense of humor. Although, in all my solitude here, ignored by the Outcasts, I've gone through extensive... Introspection, over what I assume has been a considerable amount of time."

"It's been about, oh, seven years since your... Blind betrayal?" Nate supplied, smiling still.

Danse nodded, chuckling as he did so. "Seven years... Yes, seven years of introspective thinking has given me time to reflect on... Many things." He smiled then. "Dwelling on them, I've come to understand things that perplexed me in the past. I've come to understand why you enjoy humor so much, even when the situation doesn't allow for it. Especially when the situation demands otherwise."

Nate grinned, "Always better when it's inappropriate. Like fucking at a funeral."

The former Paladin stood up then, approaching the bars and stared at his visitor, his old companion, the man who he had brought into the Brotherhood and then wrecked the Brotherhood. "All humor aside, I must ask... Why have you come?"

"War," Nate stated simply.

To this, Danse smiled again, though he knew it wasn't intentionally funny, That was just how it was with the Sole Survivor. The man could be deadly serious and still make you crack a smile. He recalled something Nate had once said, when they had camped for the night before continuing on their adventures. "War. War never changes."

"It really doesn't, unfortunately." Nate grinned. "But yeah, I'm making preparations for a new campaign, and I need someone with exceptional skills and experience to serve as... Chief of staff, I suppose." He leaned against the brick wall then, staring back at Danse. "And thinking about who to tap for the job, I remembered something Arthur told me once."

Danse cocked his head, eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.

"He said you were one of his finest officers ever." The General went on.

"Elder Maxson would disagree now, I am certain." Danse smiled. "All the same... Why me? You must have plenty of people to consider. Of everyone you could have asked, why me?"

"I have veterans aplenty," Nate agreed, shrugging. "But not enough officers with real combat experience. They're good in a firefight against... Ferals and raiders, sure. But in this case, we're going up against the Gunners."

Danse raised an eyebrow. Seven years and they were still a problem? "They're still active?"

"Outside Commonwealth limits, but yeah, the Gunners are still operational. And they're ramping up their efforts to conscript more soldiers and amass more arms. Word is, they're looking to come back and hit us hard, make their stay a permanent one this time. An united Commonwealth is bad for their business, I'm told."

The former Paladin nodded then, understanding now. "Outstanding... You're staging a preemptive campaign then. Strike at the enemy before they're ready to strike at you."

"Correct," Nate grinned. "I'm going to have my hands full leading this campaign and directing the offensive, and because it's something of a... Group effort, say... I'm going to have plenty of people reporting to me. I need someone who can handle all the logistics and organize everything, as well as keep the, eh, factions off my back while I take care of our enemies." He smiled then. "And You did a hell of a job, keeping your squad alive in a hostile territory, especially after two other squads were wiped out, and you accomplished what you were sent to do. That's why I'm offering you the job, otherwise these Outcasts are just going to leave you to rot in this cell after they pack up and pull out."

Danse chuckled then, "They do seem to be rather busy these days. I can't figure out as to why, but..."

"Oh, that?" The General shrugged again. "I offered them a Vault, actually. Right on the edge of the Glowing Sea. Protector Ingram agreed to an exchange. The Vault for you. Sorta. There were other conditions but... Whatever."

"A Vault? I'm flattered." Danse smiled, amused by the remark and the notion of being worth such an impressive gold mine of pre-war technology. "Still... What if I don't wish to serve under your command?"

"You're free to go, in any case. I just didn't want to see you left behind like this. All the same, I hope you do sign up with us." Nate crossed his arms then, forcing himself to maintain a straight face. "Just didn't seem right to me, really, you being abandoned like this, especially with the Outcasts pulling out of the Commonwealth."

Now, that surprised Danse and the synth didn't bother hiding it. "They're leaving the Commonwealth? But you said they traded me for a Vault..."

Nate nodded, a small smile tugging at one side of his lips. "Ingram is setting up a chapter there, but she and the rest of her people are joining my campaign."

"Against the Gunners?" Danse stared at him, perplexed. That wasn't typical Brotherhood behavior. No, there was something else at work here. "No, it's not just the Gunners, is it?" He continued to examine the General, taking in the man's attitude and reaction. "... You're going after Maxson, aren't you?"

And Nate could only smile. "Perceptive of you, Danse. But yes, I'm going after Maxson. My war is not with the Brotherhood of Steel. It is with Maxson and Maxson alone."

"They're going to defend their Elder, even in the face of impossible odds. That's what the Brotherhood does. They won't make it easy for you. They won't roll over and let their Elder be taken." Danse countered. "He's a Maxson. He's practically royalty to them. The last living heir of Roger Maxson himself."

"If I have to break the Brotherhood to get to Maxson," Nate began, suddenly serious, "I will."

Danse stared at him then, sensing the sincerity of those words, though he could also sense that there was more to them."

Nate smiled then. "That's the nice thing about steel, Danse. You can reforge it back together into one piece, stronger than before. All the same, if the Brotherhood won't surrender Maxson, then I'll break them in order to remove a clear and present danger to the Commonwealth.

He edged closer to the bars then, closer to Danse, his voice louder now.

"The Brotherhood of Steel will not survive under Maxson's command, Danse. That man... That maniac... Is a threat to everyone and everything. You told me once. The Brotherhood exists to fight against technology that's run amok. Maxson is a lunatic with access to some of the most dangerous technology left on Earth."

Then Nate leaned back. "And I'm going to disarm him. Not kill him. Not execute him. Disarm. And once he's no longer Elder, the Brotherhood can rebuild under someone else's command. Ingram and her Outcasts will make sure of that."

Danse stared at him. All of that hadn't been for his benefit alone, he realized. No doubt Nate had said it all, just to send the Outcasts a message. He knew, just as sure as Nate knew, that they would have been listening in on them. But the man did bring up a valid point.

"You're right about one thing, Nate... Elder Maxson is unhinged. He did not take it well when the Minutemen were the ones to destroy the Institute and become the Commonwealth's when he wanted the Brotherhood to fill that role. His defeat will only have made it worse."

And Nate continued this line of reasoning, "And with the Outcasts abandoning him just before his defeat..."

Danse realized it then. This was what Nate really wanted him for. His insight into Arthur Maxson, his way of thinking, his state of mind, someone who would be able to analyze him and counter him. "He'll consider them nothing less than traitors of the highest order."

Nate smiled. "He'll be seeing traitors everywhere, in every shadow, around every corner." Paranoia was one hell of a liability, the General knew and so did Danse. And Danse understood it then, Maxson's paranoia would be what would break the Brotherhood.

"Very well, Nathaniel." Danse conceded then, "I will join you."

Nate grinned then. "Hope you like Minutemen blue." He pulled off a duffle bag he had strapped to his back and dropped it beside him. "You're going to look real damn good in our uniform."

Danse could only groan.

Thirty minutes later, the Hummer was making its way out of College Square and up the road toward Lexington, Minuteman escorts following close behind. Nate took up his seat in front as Danse sat in the back, wearing a Colonial Duster.

Unlike the days when Nat and Preston had begun rebuilding the Minutemen and their recruits wore anything that was remotely the color of blue, they had progressed to the point where every recruit wore army uniforms dyed blue and every Minuteman earned the right to wear a Colonial Duster in the same color, all of it personally made and fitted by talented people like Anne Hargraves. It might have seem silly back then, but it had given their credibility a major boost and did wonders for the morale, having everything standardized.

Though, Danse refused to wear the silly hat.

A part of him found it irritating to be wearing the same attire as Preston Garvey, but he couldn't find any fault in the General's case for providing every Minuteman with the same gear as everyone else. After all, the Brotherhood had done the same thing.

The Hummer, though, surprised him. "This is a military vehicle, isn't it? A M1025, if I'm not mistaken."

Nate chuckled up front, nodding in confirmation. "Yes, it is. We found an abandoned aircraft carrier not far out at sea, derelict. Untouched for two centuries, even. Fighter jets. Stingrays. A Vertibird or two. Most of what we found were even inoperable or needed parts we didn't have, but... There was a huge arsenal inside. Armored personnel carriers. Infantry fighting vehicles. Even Howitzers. Fuciing Howitzers, Danse."

Danse whistled appreciatively.

"Exactly," Nate grinned as he looked back at his companion. "Course, I got my mechanics and engineers on repairing them, but... It's slow going, unfortunately. And we've been replacing our artillery with the Howitzers where we can, once they're repaired. I've made it one of Isabella's priorities to dismantle an Howitzer and figure out on retrofitting any appropriate facilities necessary to begin producing more of them, but... We'll see." He turned his attention back onto the road.

"Isabella?" Danse inquired.

"Major Isabella Cruz. She's our chief mechanic." Nate answered quickly. "I've put together a hell of a staff since the last time we met, actually. You'll be meeting them soon enough, I'm sure."

For the next ten minutes, silence filled the air as Danse stared out the window, gazing at the Commonwealth. It all looked the same, and yet... It felt different. Full of...

Hope.

Danse spoke then, shattering the silence. "You've come a long way, Nathaniel."

Nate peered back at Danse. "Hm?"

The synth looked at him. "Eight years ago, the Minutemen were... Civilians. Farmers and merchants and caravaneers. In other words, just a militia. And now, they're a military power to be feared."

Nate tilted his head then. "Feared?"

Danse smiled in return. "Admired, then." Then he went on. "But the fact remains, they have become a military power."

The General nodded. "Spending time with the Minutemen, learning the basics from Preston and seeing how our men handled themselves, it didn't take long for me to realize that the original idea, however sound, wasn't going to cut it in the Commonwealth today. We're still a militia, Danse. I've just taken what I learned from the past and applied it to today."

This, Danse found interesting. "Your time in the army, you mean."

Nate smiled and gave him another nod. "Exactly. They taught me everything I needed to know in order to be an effective soldier. I just passed on my training."

"You did more than just that, Nathaniel." The synth went on.

The General shrugged. "Once upon a time, the idea of citizen soldiers... Being 'ready at a minute's notice'... It's good stuff. It still applies, really. I've just expanded on it. What they lacked, what they needed... It was just discipline. I gave them that."

"And in doing so, you transformed the Minutemen of old into an effective fighting force. One that destroyed the Institute. One capable of taking on the Brotherhood of Steel." Danse countered. "They're not a militia anymore, Nathaniel. They're something else. They're..." He stopped then, searching for the right word. They were an army, he knew, and yet at the same time, they weren't.

Though, Nate found it for him. "National Guard. Heh. Commonwealth National Guard. How about that?" He smiled, amused by the thought of that, though he couldn't deny that Danse was right. "When you put it like that," Nate chuckled, "it's certainly something. God bless America, and God bless the Commonwealth."

Danse wasn't deterred, however. Instead, his face grew even more serious. "In the Capital Wasteland, we... The Brotherhood once fought against an enemy, one with a military might that exceeded that of their own."

Nate raised an eyebrow. "The Brotherhood found someone else with even better firepower? I find that hard to believe, Danse."

"Nathaniel... The Brotherhood you went up against, everything they had... The lasers, the plasma rifles, the Vertibirds... Where do you think we got them from?" He gave the General a sad smile then. "It is a curiously consistent fact that what we defeat, we take from them. You defeated the Brotherhood and the Institute, and you have profited from their defeats. In this day and age, we are all scavengers. It is a necessity of life, a necessity of survival, in the wasteland."

Nate sighed then, he couldn't argue against that. "Okay, you win. So, who were they, the ones the Brotherhood defeated?"

"They were known as the Enclave. The Brotherhood fought them for the first time in California. They were defeated and went into hiding. They reappeared on the East Coast then, years later. The Capital Wasteland. They were genocidal maniacs who tried purifying the Wasteland by wiping out all mutants. Ghouls. Super Mutants. Even civilians. Anyone with the slightest bit of radiation in them." Danse stopped there for a moment. One look from Nate told him he had the General's undivided attention. "The Brotherhood barely defeated them, even with help from Liberty Prime, the settlements throughout the region, the Regulators, mercenaries... In the end, it took one man. The Lone Wanderer."

Nate stared at him still, listening to what the synth was saying, waiting for the point he was trying to make. Danse didn't talk just for the hell of it, after all. If he was revealing information, then there was a point to it.

"They were the last remnants of Pre-war America. They were all that remained of America's government, Nathaniel. In the Enclave, America survived. A twisted and warped dream that used to be America."

And that told Nate what he was getting at. "I'm not the Enclave, Danse."

The former Paladin nodded. "I know. The Enclave's vision of America would have been built on the corpses of millions. You, on the other hand..."

Nate stared straight at the man, the synth, the one who was one of his closest friends, one of the few who really understood him. "I just want to build a better world. For everyone."

"Outstanding." Danse smiled. "And that is why I'll take your vision of America over the Enclave."

The hummer rolled into Lexington then, Nate peering out his window as he saw plenty of people moving around, smiling softly at how alive the city seemed now. His Lexington Initiative was really something he was proud of, and he knew his Nora would have been especially proud as well.

It didn't take much to destroy something. But putting something back together? That was just beautiful.

The convoy took a left before pulling into the city's largest gathering area, where many stalls and shops could be seen lining the sidewalks as dozens of lightbulbs hung everywhere, suspended from wires. Night was beginning to fall, but you'd have never noticed it, not with how bright it was here in the bazaar.

After circling around the bazaar and moving up the ramp, the vehicle screeched to a halt on the street just outside Corvega Factory, in whose shadow the city occupied. Nate, Danse, and the two other Minutemen all stepped out then. Nate approached the railing then, looked over at everyone going about their business.

Despite everything, despite all of this, Nate couldn't help but feel just a twinge of anxiety then. They weren't the Enclave, but the potential was also there. All it took was one person, with the vision, the energy, the drive, to really fuck it all up. He had handpicked all the best possible candidates for this election of his, but... He didn't know how it would turn out ten years down the road.

A hundred years down the road was even more of a different story. What if all he did now would only eventually give rise to a new Enclave? One even worse than the old Enclave? How had Danse put it earlier?

'The Minutemen of old.'

' _What if the Minutemen of now become the Enclave of tomorrow?'_ That was what Nate feared. And just as quickly as it came, it was gone. His resolve and determination set in then, hardening his composure. ' _I'll just have to do a hell of a job then, won't I?'_

He eased back from the railing then, spit at the ground beside him, and muttered to himself quietly.

"God willing."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Greetings, everyone!_

 _I know, I know, it's been forever since my last update. I know, I know, I deserve to be lynched. I know, I know, I suck donkey balls._

 _But that's my bad, really. Things just got so busy for me over the year and it never really occurred to me to pop on and post an update to let you all know that I'd be busy. I'm going to try to make sure that doesn't happen again, and to make up for it, there'll be another two chapters uploading within a day or two, maybe three or four chapters instead if I can manage it._

 _ **Paladin Bailey** , Haha, still figuring out how to handle this whole election, but I imagine a lot of people are going to be rooting for Hancock as the Commonwealth President. That aside, I do plan on introducing a special force for the Minutemen as well, once they've racked up a few victories down the road and their numbers grow. But I do like the suggestion of a small four-man team to tail the General. As for the music, I've been looking into a bunch of songs for the upcoming chapters, but I'll consider including some of the more modern songs as well, if they fit. :) Any suggestions, as always, feel free to share._

 _ **Rexxxar** , There's a side story that stars my Courier 6 protagonist, going into details what happened in New Vegas and the Mojave Wasteland, along with the aftermath of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, details on some of his traveling companions such as Boone and Cass. In any case, my Courier is already shaping up to be one of the antagonists that the Sole Survivor will be going up against, especially since he's looking to rebuild Caesar's Legion into his own Legion._

 _And to the **nameless guest** who asked about world building and the DLCs and the rest, rest assured! There will be plenty of world building in the next few chapters before the Minutemen begin marching, and plenty more to come even as they march! I don't intend to ever stop with the world building, matter of fact. As for Nuka World and Far Harbor, they will also play into the story, both of them._

 _The way things are in this version of Fallout 4, Far Harbor will be something of a shared experience, split between the Sole Survivor and Nick Valentine, with the Sole Survivor and a company of Minutemen focused on helping the people of Far Harbor and the island, and Nick Valentine focused on solving the mystery of Arcadia and DiMA. That will have occurred after the Institute's destruction and the Brotherhood War, so things will be quiet up in Maine but you can expect Far Harbor to eventually become a part of BRAVE NEW WORLD as well. :)_

 _As for Nuka World, the Sole Survivor will have only partially accomplished things, such as taking out Overboss Colter, freeing the slaves and helping them escape Nuka World, and inflicting a lot of damage on the three Raider gangs themselves. Beyond that, the Operators, the Pack, and the Disciples are still running the show, with a new Overboss in charge of things, and I will say this, they have been waiting to exact vengeance on the Sole Survivor for what happened. As to who the new Overboss is... We'll just have to see!_

 _As for the other questions..._

 _The Institute scientists, those who survived, will have either integrated into the settlements around the Commonwealth, joined up under Dr. Madison Li, Isabella Cruz, or Dr. Carrington, or they've simply chosen to move on to other parts of America. There MAY be an air force eventually, but the Minutemen do not have enough vertibirds, or any aircrafts in general, to constitute an air force. However, the Sole Survivor hopes to establish one eventually. The majority of the vehicles are maintained by the Outcasts of Steelport, in exchange for additional supplies, resources, and technology. With the Outcasts relocating to Vault 95, Steelport will be coming under Minutemen control. It's a tad bit obvious here but they'll be dedicating Steelport to maintaining and refueling their vehicles, so... That's your motor pool for the Minutemen. Logistics is split between Ronnie Shaw for personnel and Teagan for gear and resources. As for Lexington and Concord... Concord was originally the main settlement up north but has since then turned into a merchant hub for the settlements up north after Lexington was rebuilt, and the major draw there is now the Commonwealth Museum of Freedom, presently showcasing the "Revolution Against Tyranny" exhibit which includes both the Institute's Downfall and the Brotherhood War. :)_

 _The rest of Massachusetts may eventually be annexed but for the time being, the Sole Survivor is focused on dealing with the threats presented by the Gunners and Maxson, so those will be coming first. However, that may change once the election is over with and if the new President decides to begin incorporating the rest of Massachusetts. Time will tell!_

 _As always, thanks for reading!_


	7. Preparations

**Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 7 - Preparations**

* * *

" _One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are."_

 _Cal Thomas, American Commentator_

" _Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment, and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing."_

 _Thomas A. Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park_

" _That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth."_

 _Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States_

* * *

Two weeks since picking up Danse and arriving in Lexington, Nate slumped back in the recliner in his personal quarters, or at least the room they had provided him at the local hotel.

He remembered this place. It had been a rough job, clearing out the Lexington Apartments of all the raiders occupying it. But he was glad to see some enterprising merchant had seen the value in fixing up the Apartments and repurposing it into a hotel. Given how many people came through Lexington, he had no doubt the bastard had long since made back what he had spent in renovations.

Sighing, the Sole Survivor poured himself some brandy in the empty glass beside his recliner.

There were several books on top of the table where his glass was, the top one's faded cover spelling out _Moby Dick_ , though the bookmark in it showed he was nearly done with the book.

There wouldn't be any reading tonight, though. At least not unless it was yet more reports or other official documents. The General downed the contents of his glass then after swishing it around his mouth. It had been a very busy two weeks, after all. And it was only going to be even busier from now on.

Eamon Hollis, the young Captain, was busy assembling the Minutemen for the expedition ahead of them, going over all the records and determining the best available personnel alongside Ronnie Shaw, who was providing advice on who to bring in and who to leave behind.

The original plan had been for him to bring six hundred of their best with him, but arguments from all directions, from Colonel Preston Garvey and the others to John Hancock and Danny Sullivan and the rest, every influential person in the Commonwealth really, had changed things somewhat.

Instead, Nathaniel would be commanding a force of a thousand Minutemen, two hundred of MacCready's finest snipers and scouts, another hundred and fifty of Protector Ingram's Brotherhood Outcasts, six hundred of the best and the brightest from among the volunteers that had come pouring into Lexington.

They hadn't turned away any of the volunteers, actually. Beyond the six hundred that had been handpicked for the General's campaign, the remainder had agreed to sign up as reservists for the Minutemen, to participate in their training and earn the duster, before returning to their homes, free to carry on as civilians but swearing to answer the call if they were ever needed at a minute's notice.

That was at least one bonus in this whole campaign. Even with the Minutemen at half their strength throughout the Commonwealth, they would have reserves to call on, along with every settlement in the Commonwealth promising to provide support with their own town guards and security forces.

It was truly heartwarming, though. Seeing the volunteers standing and drilling together with the Minutemen, their numbers divided into companies of their own, each company with a veteran Minuteman as their Captain and experienced Minutemen officers staffing them.

In a way, Nate had managed to solve one of his major problems. This way, he could train the volunteers in Minuteman discipline and tactics, while his veterans were getting the leadership experience they needed in commanding other men.

This way, he was training up his officer corps.

But that wasn't the real problem. No, it was the fucking Super Mutants.

He had expected fifty of them, maybe a hundred. Instead, far more of them had come. Near three hundred, maybe. Nate didn't know if it was that Strong had simply been _especially_ persuasive, had simply threatened to kill them himself if they didn't come, or they had simply wanted to come along and kill as many people as possible.

Probably a combination of all three, along with ten other idiotic reasons that makes sense only to a Super Mutant.

And on top of it all, the Super Mutant leading the Super Mutants was already proving to be even more problematic than the rest of his kind.

Strong had sent him a simple message, written in his own hand, however crudely.

' _Strong hopes Stronk dies.'_

That had left them in confusion until they had met Stronk, an enormous mountain of a Super Mutant, practically on the verge of being considered a Behemoth. The Outcasts had damn near turned the heart of Lexington into a killing field, and the Super Mutants were every bit as raring to have a go at the Outcasts.

Nathaniel couldn't have told you which one of the two were bigger idiots.

Thankfully, through the combined efforts of Lieutenant Danse, Mayor John Hancock, and the Super Mutants' own Stronk, a disaster was averted.

The Super Mutants were redirected to Rocky Narrows Park, though Stronk and two of his fellow Mutants stayed behind in Lexington. And the Outcasts were rewarded with a double reprimanding by both the General of the Minutemen and the Protector of the Outcasts.

"Fucking hell..." Nate groaned as he refilled his glass.

Aside from the Stronk debacle, everything else had been pretty smooth.

The Brotherhood Outcasts' detachment, those that had been assigned to participate in the procession, had been stationed behind the Super Duper Market. The mercenaries of the Free Militia, on MacCready's orders, were camped around Mystic Pines and Mass Gravel & Sand. The volunteer companies, west of Lexington, just between the Assembly Plant and Jalbert Brothers Disposal. The rest of the Minutemen were still pouring in, forming new squads and establishing new companies, establishing their own camps all around Lexington, with orders to serve as a buffer zone in between all the various groups.

All the while, representatives from every single settlement, every faction, every group with a say in the Commonwealth, had arrived in town to find out about what was happening.

The chief members of the alliance were all represented. Danny Sullivan of Diamond City. John Hancock of Goodneighbor. Alicia Kessler of Bunker Hill. Marcy Long of Quincy. And Ephraim Hayes of Lexington.

Beyond that... Sanctuary Hills, Abernathy Farm, Tenpines Bluff, Concord, Sunshine Tidings, Breakheart Banks and Lynn Woods. Greentop Nursery and the Slog, Taffington, West Everett, Salem, Finch Farm, Nahant Wharf, Nordhagen, County Crossing, College Square, Beantown, Weston, Fiddler's Green, Forest Grove, Vault 81, Trinity Plaza, Fairline Hills, Egret Tours, Jamaica Plains, Somerville Heights, and Warwick.

There were even people from the Atom Cats, the Combat Zone, Croup Manor, Mahkra Town, Drumlin Crossroads...

Along with representatives from some of the last remaining cities to hold out, having never officially joined the Commonwealth alliance, something they saw as sacrificing their freedoms and independences in exchange for Minuteman protection. Instead, they paid and relied on the Free Militia for all their security.

Malden in the northeast, East Boston in the east, and Norfolk County in the south, though the real problem was Roxbury.

Adrian Hargraves himself, the Governor of Roxbury, had caused a commotion when he turned up in Lexington as well.

Just another problem for the Sole Survivor to deal with, he supposed.

There came a knock at the door before it creaked open, Danse popping his head in. "Sir, everyone's ready."

Nathaniel nodded as he got out of his recliner. It was a nice break while it lasted, he sighed as he thought to himself. "All right then, Danse. Let's go."

The two made their way down Lexington Apartments and through the streets of Lexington, toward one of the buildings they had decided to use for the growing gathering of civilians, representatives, and soldiers.

At the very least, Nate was happy to notice, Danse was fitting in nicely enough. While some had been angry and some were even vocal about their displeasure, most of the people were simply surprised to see Danse joining their ranks as the General's chief of staff.

Though Nate suspected that this, along with the Super Mutants issue, was why they were forcing an extra four hundred Minutemen on him, just to keep his ass protected. It was ridiculous to begin with but he didn't see any point in arguing against everyone.

Besides, another four hundred guns wasn't something he would have really turned down, not when he would need every single one he could get.

It took the pair some time but they eventually made their way into the large room. There were dozens of tables all over, along with hundreds of chairs and couches and seats everywhere. Over the loud chattering and shouting, it took the Minutemen some time to quieten everyone down enough for them to notice the savior of the Commonwealth had finally arrived.

Amidst loud applause and cheering, Nathaniel made his way through the hall and up the stairs onto a makeshift stage Teagan's specialists had taken the time to build. Makeshift but sturdy as hell.

He gestured for everyone to quiet down once more. "Thank you, everyone. I'm glad to see you all made it here." The General smiled. Behind him, the chief architects of the gathering, the five people he had handpicked to run in the election, were all sitting down in their chairs, listening as Nate spoke. "It's been a long time since I've seen all of us together in the same place. Too damn long, by my thinking, really." There were scattered agreement. "Now, I'm sure many of you... Scratch that, I'm sure all of you are wondering what the hell's going on." Louder murmur and agreement.

The General smiled again, nodding to himself. "Yeah, I know you're wondering that, wondering what we've got planned now. First of all... It's been eight years since this alliance started. Eight years since the Institute. Seven, since the Brotherhood War. And we've had plenty of peace. Plenty of victories. We've made the Commonwealth safer. Worked together for her prosperity. For her rebuilding. For her future. And from where I'm standing, the future is looking good."

More applause and cheers. Nate nodded again. "We've labored tirelessly to make that future a reality. And I'm proud to say this... That future is nearly here."

"But!" The General went on quickly, before anyone could applaud again. "There are those who continue to stand in our way." His eyes passed over where he had seen the Governor of Roxbury recently, noting that the man was staring daggers back at him. No doubt the bastard thought he was talking about him.

"The Commonwealth is at peace now, but there are enemies outside her borders! Enemies who mean to destroy everything we've worked for! Because to them, we are the real danger. To them, we are a threat to their way of life. If we succeed here, their way of life is obsolete. If we succeed here, they have no place in our new world." He looked around the room then, feeling every single pair of eyes on him alone. "Our Director of Intelligence, Jonah Monroe, brought a report to us recently. It said that the Gunners are preparing for a new campaign in the Commonwealth. They're looking to come back, hit us hard, and split the Commonwealth up. Take us back to the way things used to be. They want us divided, they want us isolated, and they want us afraid!"

There was only silence then. Nate cleared his throat. "The Commonwealth is united only because we wanted an end to those days of bloodshed and terror. Because we wanted an end to the tyranny of fear, of the raiders, of the Institute, and yes, of the Gunners as well."

"And we sent them running once!" He smiled then. "Yes, they're coming back, but... The fact remains. We've beaten them once. We'll beat them once more, this time on their own turf."

At this, people realized what he had just said, and they started clamoring. Nate held up a hand, silencing the clamors. "I am assembling a force for a preemptive campaign into lands south of the Commonwealth, perhaps as far as Rhode Island. The mission is to strike at the heart of Gunner territory, at Battleship Cove, and put an end to the Gunners. Permanently."

In the silence that followed, Nate sighed and went on. "Beyond that, I intend to march through Rhode Island and Connecticut, push into New York." The General could see many of the representatives, even some of his own people from among the Minutemen, especially Preston Garvey among them, standing up and shouting their disapproval. He shouted louder then, refusing to step back down. "And from New York, I will march into the Capital Wasteland, lay siege to the Brotherhood of Steel, demand that they surrender Arthur Maxson, and remove him from power!"

He slammed the podium then, sending papers flying and a glass of water crashing off the stage. "LISTEN TO ME!"

Silenced by the battlefield roar, the representatives fell quiet, though their anger was still bubbling just beneath the surface.

"There is nothing, NOTHING, rational about what I am proposing right now! It is simply this... In my heart of hearts, I know that more than the Gunners, it is Maxson who poses the greatest threat to our Commonwealth! His defeat during the Brotherhood War left him unhinged! He returned to the Capital Wasteland with only a fraction of the army he came here! He returned home disgraced! There is nothing more dangerous than a madman looking to redeem his failures, because he's going to try even harder next time, and the Commonwealth will bleed even worse if that happens!"

And they started clamoring again, shouting at the savior of the Commonwealth.

"HOW MANY?!" Nathaniel exploded once more, angrier than any of them.

He had to make them see. He had to. "How many more sons and daughters are you willing to sacrifice!? How many more husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, how many more people are we supposed to lose before we put an end to this threat forever!? How many more until we say, enough is enough!?"

"I have fought in a war more terrible than anything any of you have ever seen! You think the Institute's reign of terror was bad? You think the Brotherhood War was horrible? You. Have. Seen. Nothing. I fought in the Sino-American War! I was there at the Battle of Anchorage! I fought on distant battlefields half the world away! I've seen too many people die! I've lost too many friends!"

Then his voice grew quieter. "I was there when the Great War began. The day the world ended. The day humanity wiped itself out. Can you imagine the horror of that day, of thinking that that everyone you've ever known and loved is gone, that your world is gone?"

Nate laughed then. But it was a hollow laugh, devoid of all feeling. "I'm not the Sole Survivor just because I walked out of Vault 111 alone. I'm the Sole Survivor because I'm the last one left, the only one left, who remembers what the world was like before it burned in atomic fire!"

One of the representatives found the courage to answer him then. "There are Ghouls just as old as you, General!"

"Yeah," he nodded in agreement, before countering. "And for them, that world was two hundred years ago! They can barely remember it now! A handful of memories is all they got now, if they're lucky! But me?"

He grunted in annoyance. "It was only eight years since I left that world. I remember all of it. Every last bit of it. I had a wife. A son. I lived in a beautiful blue house, right in Sanctuary Hills. I had a job, as a mechanic at the local Red Rocket..."

Then he stared back at everyone in the room. "Ask yourselves this... Which life do you think I'd want. The one I had, or the one I have now?"

He chuckled then. "Because to me, the answer's easy. I'd trade everything in the world just to be able to live through that day again, just so I could die with my family."

No one spoke. No one dared to. There was only silence and shame and sorrow.

But he went on. "I'm doing this... So that kind of thing never happens again. Because you know what? Maxson has plenty of technology left in his arsenal. Technology burned this world to cinders. And if we're not careful, if we don't do something about it, Maxson is going to unleash that technology on us again. And this time, it may very well be the end of humanity."

Once everything had calmed down and the representatives had debated the merits of the General's campaign, it was quietly decided that the campaign would proceed. Though, Nate knew it was both Hancock's forceful support and Danny's playing the devil's advocate that earned him the Commonwealth's support.

He'd have to thank them both later. The General sighed as he remained where he was, seated beside Blake Abernathy, who gave him a heartfelt pat on the shoulder.

Gwen McNamara, on the other hand, had taken center stage. "Greetings are in order, my fellow representatives of the Commonwealth as a whole and of communities thus far uninvolved, I thank you all for coming. And I thank the General," she turned and gestured toward Nathaniel, "for all his service to the Commonwealth for the last eight years and for his passionate speech and his willingness to serve the Commonwealth, even as far as to defend her from any and all enemies of the Commonwealth."

She turned her focus back on the audience. "Now... With the General away on his expedition, Colonel Preston Garvey will be remaining here in the Commonwealth, commanding what remains of the Minutemen and defending the Commonwealth in Mr. Howard's absence. A number of us have decided that it would be best to take the next step toward strengthening the authority of the alliance and of the Commonwealth as a whole. I believe most of you, if not all, recall the last attempt at uniting the Commonwealth? Our predecessors established the Commonwealth Provisional Government. Whenever it was the Institute that sabotaged those proceedings or not, that no longer matters. The Institute no longer exists. In contrast, our alliance has endured for eight years now. It is now time to make a second attempt."

She gestured toward the General once more. "On his advice, we have determined that the best way to proceed is to begin from the top and work our way down. Therefore, we will be hosting our very first election for the position of President of the Commonwealth."

There came a loud clamor, the air full of surprise and excitement both, as representatives stood up and cheered on this measure. While there were many that remained unsure, and some that felt it unnecessary, the majority cheered on the measure.

"Today is the 17th of August. That leaves us eighty six days, nearly three months, until the 11th of November, a date also recommended by the General and collaborated by our own archivists from Vault 81. Within those three months, candidates will be nominated and recorded. Beginning on the 11th of November, a year of campaigning will ensue, allowing each candidate to travel throughout the Commonwealth, hold rallies, host communal meetings, debate each other, and other pre-approved activities, all of which are listed on this paper." Gwen held up a document. "A copy will be given to each and every representative at the end of this assembly. By the time it is the 10th of November once again, all campaigning will cease. On the next 11th of November, every citizen of the Commonwealth will vote on the candidate they wish to see as President. Every vote will be counted and recorded over the length of two weeks. The candidate that gains the most votes to his or her name will be elected President. On the 25th of November, the President of the Commonwealth will be sworn in through a ceremony, in which he will take an oath, to be decided upon by this assembly at a future date, to serve and defend the Commonwealth."

Gwen placed the paper back down on the podium, took a moment to recompose herself and help herself to a sip of water. She knew she had everyone's interest then.

"The President, after being sworn in, will then decide on his or her Vice President, then members of his or her Cabinet, which may comprise of as many people as deemed necessary. After that, the President and his Cabinet, with the assistance and agreement of this assembly, will begin putting together a government to manage the affairs of the Commonwealth, arbitrate any and all issues and disputes of the Commonwealth. Furthermore, it will be the duty of this assembly to establish both a legislative body and a judicial body, against which the powers of the President will be kept in check. Once there exists an executive body, a legislative body, and a judicial body, the first priority of our government will be to devise a constitution for the Commonwealth."

She cleared her throat then. "I believe that is the gist of what we have planned so far. We will be opening the floor to questions now."

Hands shot up into air, but the one that was picked was Adrian Hargraves of Roxbury. "Sir?"

Adrian stood up then. "That's great and all, but I'm getting the feeling this is all just for members of your alliance, isn't it? What about those of us that never bought into your bullshit?"

The Overseer looked up at him then. "You are correct, to be eligible, candidates must fill the necessary criteria, one of which is that they must be a citizen of the Commonwealth. As Roxbury is not a member of the Commonwealth, her citizens cannot be considered as such."

He glared at her, then at the General behind her. "And if Roxbury was to join the Commonwealth?"

"Then her citizens would be considered citizens of the Commonwealth as well." Gwen agreed. "Put your case forward before the council for admittance into the Commonwealth. If the council votes in your favor, then you may put forward any candidate you wish, as long as it is before the 11th of November."

The Governor continued to stare at Nathaniel, then brought his attention back to Gwen and smiled. "Glad to hear it. It looks like Roxbury will be joining the Commonwealth after all." He sneered, amidst scattered laughter.

Hands shot up again. "The representative of the Slog, your question?"

Wiseman stood up then. "Yeah, will Ghouls be eligible for this election, or is it strictly a human only thing?"

John Hancock got up then, gesturing for Gwen to relax. "Yeah, yeah, I got this." He grinned before turning to Wiseman. "Yup, this thing of ours, it's gonna be open to everyone. Humans. Ghouls. Hell, Super Mutants, if they wanna put up someone." There was nervous laughter then, as if people couldn't tell if Hancock was joking or not. "Hell, I'll be throwing my hat into the ring. It's like I've always told the people of Goodneighbor... Of the people, for the people. That's going to be true no matter what. And way I see it, this is for the people all the way through."

He sat down then, along with a satisfied Wiseman.

Gwen gestured next toward Ephraim Hayes, the Mayor of Lexington. "Yes?"

"How is all this voting going to work? As far as I know, none of us are registered as citizens of the Commonwealth. We've always just called ourselves that. What's to stop us from voting as many times as we want?"

The Overseer smiled. "Good question, sir. Over the year of campaigning, electoral lines will be drawn throughout the Commonwealth, dividing her into regions. Each region will have one single location dedicated to voting. Each citizen of the Commonwealth will be required to register at this particular location. Registration will end exactly two months before the 11th of November. Then, on the 11th of November, citizens eligible to vote will present themselves at said location for voting. Therefore, this way, they cannot vote more than once and in more than one region."

Another representative demanded then, "How many regions will there be?"

"At this present point, we expect there to be at least ten regions, maybe more. The electoral lines have yet to be determined but the regions have already been decided to be the following, Concord, Medford, Salem, Weston, Cambridge, Natick, Quincy, East Boston, South Boston, and Boston Proper. More may be decided on at a later time. An electoral committee will be chosen from among the members of this assembly."

"Is there going to be limits on who can vote?" Another delegate questioned.

"Any member of the Commonwealth may vote, provide that they have registered to vote. Beyond that, one must simply be sixteen years of age or older."

"What about candidates? You said there were criterias!" Another shouted.

Gwen gestured for the representatives to calm down. "I appreciate your excitement, ladies and gentlemen. But please, remain calm. All your questions will be answered."

And up came the hands.

The Overseer blinked when she saw one of the hands, a huge green one. "Um... Yes, Stronk?"

The huge Super Mutant lowered his hand then. "Eat pres... Pres... Presaden?"

There was silence then. The Sole Survivor snorted. Hancock and a few others cracked a grin. The Overseer of Vault 81 gave herself a moment to gather herself before giving the Super Mutant a smile. "There will be no eating of the President, I'm afraid to say."

Stronk groaned. Loudly.

"Next question." Gwen went on. "Yes, you there?"

Another fellow stood up then. "Apologies, Overseer. Mack Corben here, of Beantown." The delegate of the settlement that had grown up around the Beantown Brewery introduced himself. "I asked about them criterias for the job of President."

"Ah, yes." Gwen nodded, remembering. "My apologies as well, Mr. Corben. The criteria for the office of the Presidency, given our circumstances at the moment, are few, For the time being, one must be a citizen of the Commonwealth, have lived within the Commonwealth for five years or longer, and be twenty five years of age or older."

Mack sat down then, satisfied.

In turn, Marcy Long stood up, ignoring everyone else's hands.

The Overseer cleared her throat. "The representative from Quincy, Mrs. Long."

Marcy crossed her arms, scowling as she did so. Even eight years later, she wasn't the most cheerful of people. "And how long is the President expected to serve for? This isn't a job for life, is it? Because I sure as hell don't want to have to live under someone I don't like for long. Especially not some asshole from Roxbury."

Adrian Hargraves turned his head and sneered at the woman. "Fair enough, who'd want to have a frigid bitch like you for Pre-"

The Sole Survivor slammed his foot down on the stage, interrupting the confrontation. "Language, you two!" He stood up then and approached the podium, standing beside Gwen. "I'll keep this simple. Whoever wins this race, they're going to have four years as President. We'll call that a term. Four years to do what they think is right. Whenever the people of the Commonwealth likes it or not, that'll be decided on the next election. If you're a hell of a President, the people'll give you another term of four years to do your job."

Nate turned then, stopping suddenly mid-turn. He looked back at the crowd. "That said, if you do a shit job, it'll be up to the legislative body of the Commonwealth to remove the President from office. The Vice President will carry out the remainder of the term as the new President, and they'll get to pick a new Vice President to fill the vacancy. That's called impeaching."

"So..." A man the General recognized as Chris Snyder, the Harbormaster of Nordhagen, spoke up then. "If the President does good, he'll probably be voted in as President again? And if he does bad, we're cutting him loose?"

The General smiled. "Pretty much. And just as an added incentive, getting impeached will earn you a trip to the Tombs. Should promote good behavior, eh?"

Adrian grumbled, "Sounds like bullshit to me. What's the point of being President if we can't do what we want?"

Nate glared at him then. "The point of being President, as you put it, is to serve the people, not be self-serving. I would have expected you, being the Governor of Roxbury, to realize that. After all, you kept Roxbury out of the Commonwealth because you thought it was the best for her, right? It wasn't just because you didn't want to give up any of your power, right?"

Adrian glared back. Then he smiled. It was a smile that would have killed if smiles could kill. "Right you are. Can't imagine why I didn't think of it that way. My apologies... General."

Nate grinned. That was unwise, he knew. But he couldn't help it, not with an asshole like Hargraves. Out of the two Hargraves he had met so far, he liked Anna Hargraves better by far, she was so unlike her brother.

Gwen clapped her hands then, bringing the attention back on her. "Thank you for answering that, General." She turned to the crowd as Nate sat back down in his seat. "Let's continue."

And so, the assembly went on in this way, question after question being answered until everyone was satisfied. The entire thing took three days to finish, with plenty of time set aside for breaks, meals, and time in which to digest everything they've heard.

In the end, the support for the election was so widespread the vote was nearly unanimous.

Over the next two weeks, up to the day of the procession, the news would spread across the Commonwealth Wasteland, from settlement to settlement, until everyone had heard about the election.

The popular talk soon focused on the candidates for the race. On Gwen McNamara of Vault 81, on Danny Sullivan of Diamond City, on John Hancock of Goodneighbor, on Blake Abernathy of Abernathy Farm, on Alicia Kessler of Bunker Hill, though there was no name more talked about than Adrian Hargraves and the fact that he had negotiated the admittance of Roxbury, Malden, East Boston, and Norfolk County into the Commonwealth.

If you had asked a local, they would have told you that the Governor was sure to win the whole thing himself.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Hello again, readers!_

 _Like I promised, the next chapter! And yes, I know, I know... I did promise at least one more. That will be up later today, if not tomorrow. After that, we'll see if I can squeeze in another chapter or two before I need to relax and recharge. That said, I've already jotted down a general outline of sorts, written up basic summaries for each chapter, and I'm presently up to chapter fifteen._

 _If life decides to be kind to me and not make me its little bitch again, I'm going to try to get back to the original plan I had before my hiatus. A chapter every week at the very least, maybe twice a week if I can manage it. I'm considering setting up either a Twitter account to keep everyone in the loop, or a Discord channel if want to get news or ask questions or even suggest ideas._ _:)_

 _An important notice here, I've been updating the previous chapters a bit, making slight edits and fixing errors in continuity, so it should all be blending together better. The chief issue was Nate sending Teagan to the Outcasts with the offer of a Vault, then no mention of that being made at all in the chapter after that. Which is actually why I started putting together an outline to help me keep track of everything._

 _Now, for the reviewers!_

 ** _Paladin_ _Bailey_** _, as always, glad to have you with us! I did consider the idea of reforming the Rangers under the Commonwealth, given that Nate's got his military training, and with Danse advising him, he could certainly put together some sort of program to produce the best of the best, an elite force of soldiers. There's also the Reilly's Rangers in the Capital Wasteland, so that would probably be what gives him the idea to reform the Rangers. That said, the Gunners are definitely the first to go, Nate's got them in his cross sights and he's looking to finish them off for good. Because if you think about it, they've got what he really needs... More guns, more resources, along with a whole new region to recruit from. :P After that... Well. I won't reveal anything, but I can tell you this, there'll be brand new groups in between the Commonwealth and the Capital Wasteland. But yeah, I'm definitely leaning toward establishing the Minutemen as the Commonwealth National Guard, which means no matter who the President is, there'll be a need for an actual army to do all the fighting with, while the Minutemen defends the Commonwealth._

 _And to the **guest** who reviewed, thank you! I'm glad you love the story and I'm glad it's hitting all the right notes for you! Now, for your questions: No, Nate isn't in a relationship with anyone else. Not yet, anyway. He'll still be grieving the loss of his family, even after eight years. But... It's probably time for him to start moving on, so yes, there may be a romance. I'm just not entirely sure as to who it will be with just yet. Piper is definitely an option, though! That said, the next chapter will be pretty spectacular as well! _

_And to everyone else, thank you for reading!_


	8. A Call To Arms

**Author's Note:** _A New Beginning has always been a working title for me, I just couldn't really think of a better one. Up until I started re-editing earlier chapters to see if I could improve them any and I realized I had the perfect title already. Or rather, Hancock gave me the perfect title. And so, without further ado... I'd like to present the next chapter of this renamed work._

 **Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 8 - A Call to Arms**

* * *

" _Energy and persistence conquer all things."_

 _Benjamin Franklin, American Founding Father_

" _Duty, Honor, Country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be."  
\- Douglas MacArthur, American General_

" _We are a diverse country, but we are one country. And we are at our best when we come together as Americans, not despite our differences, but in celebration of them."_

 _Jared Polis, American Politician and Philanthropist_

* * *

September 1, 2295.

Now it was an important date in the Commonwealth. A day of celebration. A day of pride. A day of unity. Here in the heart of Lexington, hundreds of people had come from all over the Commonwealth. North and south, east and west, everyone had come to Lexington to witness the procession, to see this army their savior had assembled.

Everyone was still talking about it. An army of Minutemen, of volunteers and mercenaries, of Outcasts and Super Mutants. An army assembled for one and only one purpose. To defend the Commonwealth, to defend all of them, from enemies beyond her limits.

It was more the fact that the General of the Minutemen was leading this campaign that won them over more than anything. After all, he had rescued them from the raiders and the mutants and the Institute. He had defended them from Maxson and the Brotherhood of Steel.

He was more than just the General of the Minutemen. He was their hero. He was their savior. To them, he was larger than life. A legend come to life. A symbol of a world that no longer existed, a world that could exist once more. A world better than anything in the Wasteland.

This man out of time, this stranger from the past... To the people, he represented the future. He was a beacon of hope, a rallying cry against terror, and the living incarnation of courage itself. Many among them shared stories, personal tales of bravery, of the General saving them from raiders, from the Triggermen and the Forged, from the Gunners and the Super Mutants. Tales of the General rushing to stop a Synth patrol. Tales of the General risking his life to pull a stranger out of a burning house. Tales of the General jumping into the fray just for them.

If it hadn't been for the announcement that the General wouldn't be participating in the election, he would have won the Presidency by a landslide. It wouldn't have taken a year of campaigning to do it either. They'd have fallen all over themselves just to get to the voting booths.

And so, no matter where he went, Nathaniel Howard was cheered on by everyone who saw him. Kids ran up to him, excited to tell him how much they wanted to be Minutemen just like him. Crowds gathered around him, hoping to just be able to get a word in and just thank the man himself. The Minutemen that escorted him everywhere complained about it all the time, having to hold back so many people and fight just to advance a single inch.

Though they secretly didn't mind it. Anything for their commander, after all.

Piper Wright smiled as she scribbled down in her notepad, writing up the beginning of an article for Publick Occurrences. She looked around then. Lexington was really something to see. She had come here a few times in the past with Nate, and it was always a mangled wreck of a ruin.

And now, she was a living, breathing city. The Lexington Initiative, no doubt about it, was a sterling success. Nate himself had told her on a few occasions how proud he was of the Lexington Initiative, how he knew his Nora would be just as proud. It was something she would have done, after all. The reporter scribbled down another few sentences. Her readers were going to love this one as well. They always did whenever it was about the Savior of the Commonwealth.

She went on, walking down the street alongside the Super Duper Mart. Peering through the grimy windows, Piper could see the bustling store inside, long since repaired and put back to use with fresh produce from local farms, meat hanging from racks by the butcher's corner, courtesy of the brahmin barons that had risen up in the recent years. It was really good to see so much fresh food up on display for purchase. She could barely remember a time when the people had to rely on centuries-old preserved food and drinks.

There were still some of those being sold, of course. But for the most part, with so many crops being grown and harvested, so many livestock and cattle being raised and butchered, there was simply just little need for the artificially preserved food.

Of course, the Minutemen were always stockpiling food from the old world, in case of emergencies. Better safe than sorry, Nate had told her during an interview two years ago.

Looking away, Piper continued on. To her left, she saw the restored and renamed Commonwealth Bank of Lexington. Some rich asshole, she recalled, had thought it'd be clever to fix up the old bank and for reasons she couldn't figure out, the General agreed on it and promised Minuteman support. All those paper bills they had been using to wipe their asses with, turns out that was actually money. Caps, in paper form.

Weird as hell, but whatever.

But because of that, there were now Commonwealth Banks in Diamond City, in Bunker Hill,in Quincy, and there were apparently plans to establish a few more. With Minutemen providing security detail for the transport of money and many of the merchants and caravans supporting the move, most of the Commonwealth had agreed to switch from caps to dollar bills, with the Commonwealth Mint being set in Hagen, just next to Fort Hagen.

From the start Piper, like many, had been unsure how this was even gonna work. But the General had come through on that front again, suggesting they back the value of their new dollar bills with other resources worth their weight in value.

At first, it had been done with water, as that had been one of the first major ventures the Minutemen had focused on.

Then it was done with salt from a local salt mine just north of Tenpines Bluff, then Salem and Nahant and Nordhagen, all the waterfront communities, had started looking into desalination operations, reclaiming salt from the seas and decontimating them of any radiation.

And now, they were buying up all the silver and gold, talking about how they would melt them down into bars and use them to back up the value of the dollar bill. In any case, Piper knew Preston would have a hell of a job, protecting the Commonwealth's treasury and all the valuables safely secured under Fort Hagen.

It would probably be a good thing, she decided after thinking about it. After all, if they were going to be putting together a government for the Commonwealth, it'd be good to have a treasury to support the government.

Moving on, she turned a corner and made her way into the bazaar, crammed full of cheering crowds. Nearby, Minutemen were rocking it on their instruments and jamming out songs. Piper smiled at that. It was always good to hear music.

Especially from this particular group, the wildly popular Freedom Fighters. They were always on either Diamond City Radio or Commonwealth Radio, and they even made it onto Radio Freedom, whenever there wasn't any news to pass on.

Speaking of Radio Freedom...

Piper ducked through the crowd when she saw a familiar face and grabbed a guy by the shoulder.

"Hey, easy there!" Solomon shouted as he turned around, smiling wide as soon as he saw it was Piper Wright, the intrepid reporter. "Piper! Good to see you!"

Piper smiled in return. "Solomon Davis, you say that everytime I see you."

"Well..." The man grinned then, "It's always good to see you, so..."

The reporter chuckled before looking around. "Hell of a crowd, huh? Has anything happened yet?"

"Nope," said the operator of Radio Freedom. "Not yet, at least." Solomon David, a Lieutenant with the Minutemen, was one of the most popular voices in the Commonwealth. For the last seven years, it had been his voice that reached the Commonwealth, relaying Nathaniel's messages, news of Minuteman victories, warning settlements of potential dangers, etc.

To the people of the Commonwealth, Solomon Davis was known as the Voice of Freedom.

He looked back at Piper. "The General's supposed to be giving his speech soon, though. You made it just in time."

"Great," said Piper as she looked around some more. "As seeing as I'm working on an article now, you wanna help me out?"

Solomon shrugged. "Sure, it's a free country, ain't it?"

Smiling at that, Piper punched the man on his shoulder. "It will be, at any rate. So, I've been hearing people talk about how today's going to be made a Commonwealth holiday..."

The radio operator nodded. "Yeah, that's the plan." He looked over at Piper then, noticed the measuring stare she was giving him, the unspoken question. "Heh. The way the General sees it, the people of the Commonwealth needs plenty of reasons to celebrate. That's why we got Freedom Day, after we brought down the Institute. And Victory Day, after the Brotherhood War."

"Uh huh." Piper scribbled in her notepad as she listened. "So, what is our great emancipator giving us now?"

"Commonwealth Day," came the answer. "Wants it to be the day people start getting ready for elections. Not just for this President shindig, though. Says it'd be good if people started voting on all kinds of positions. Mayors. Representatives. Whatever you got."

"So it's a celebration of democracy then?" The reporter inquired.

"I suppose." Solomon shrugged again. "But that's not all it's supposed to be. It's supposed to be a way to celebrate the Commonwealth as a country, celebrate everyone united, standing together. Just like the Minuteman motto."

"United, We Stand." Piper cracked a smile as she repeated the motto. She remember listening to Preston and the Sole Survivor at the Dugout Inn, debating on what to use for their official motto.

She also recalled Vadim throwing in his own suggestion. 'Truth, Justice, and the Bobrov Way, eh, eh?'

Solomon nodded along. "United, We Stand. And now that's a reality. Just look at everyone here. At any rate, it was better than Nate's idea. Unite or die. Like, seriously... Nothing but bad ideas when he's drunk."

Piper looked around again, taking in the sight of the cheering crowds. Streamers of red, white, and blue filled the air. Blue flags were hung up everywhere, the Minuteman symbol on every single one of them. Banners had been put up all along the storefronts and against the walls of every building in Lexington, showing off the Commonwealth colors. A flagpole had been erected in the middle of the bazaar, just next to the statue of the Minuteman, while a platform had been built beside the flagpole.

There was no flag flying, though. "What's the deal with that?" Piper wondered.

Solomon grinned. "Just wait until you see it. Nate and the rest of them put their heads together and decided on a new flag, one to represent us all. A flag for the entire Commonwealth, not just the Minuteman flag."

It was then that Piper saw the Sole Survivor making his way up the steps onto the platform. In his hand, there was a colorful piece of fabric. A folded flag, she quickly realized. Joining him on the platform, Preston Garvey took up position beside the flagpole as John Hancock stood by, crossing his arms and looking cleaned up, for once.

"Good afternoon, Lexington!" The Sole Survivor began, amidst thunderous cheering. "And a shout out to the rest of the Commonwealth!" He cracked a grin as he held out his arms, enjoying the moment like he always did at these kind of events. "I'm glad to see so many people here, makes it all worth it, really!"

He cleared his throat then, smiled again as the cheering continued unabated. Gesturing for some silence, he waited until it was quiet enough to talk again. "Many of you know me. For those of you who don't, my name is Nathaniel Howard, the General of the Minutemen. With me is Preston Garvey, also of the Minutemen, and John Hancock, of Goodneighbor." He gestured toward each man with him as he said their names.

Nate stopped for a moment. Took a deep breath as he pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket's pocket. Then he began speaking.

 _War. War never changes._

 _In the year 1945, my great-great grandfather, serving in the army, wondered when he'd get to go home to his wife and the son he'd never seen. He got his wish when the US ended World War II by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki._

 _The world awaited Armageddon; instead, something miraculous happened. We began to use atomic energy not as a weapon, but as a nearly limitless source of power._

 _People enjoyed luxuries once thought the realm of science fiction. Domestic robots, fusion-powered cars, portable computers. But then, in the 21st century, people awoke from the American dream._

 _Years of consumption led to shortages of every major resource. The entire world unraveled. Peace became a distant memory. It was the year 2077. We stood on the brink of total war, and I was afraid. For myself, for my wife, for my infant son. Because if my time in the army taught me one thing; it's that war, war never changes._

 _In the year 2287, I stumbled out of a dying Vault, alone. Found a world in ruins. America, gone. My wife, dead. My son, gone. Even then, when I thought I had lost everything, I found something else._

 _Hope._

 _It was like a light, shining in the darkness, drawing me from the abyss. Pulling me forward. Into the Wasteland. I found others. Survivors. Rebuilding. Helping each other._

 _I learned something else, something the army didn't teach me. Something no one can teach you. It's something you learn just by living through everything life throws at you. Everything can change in an instant, whether or not you're ready._

 _This wasn't the world I wanted, but it's the one I found myself in. This time, I'm ready. Because I know._

 _Hope. Hope never fades._

Nate looked up then, eyes watering lightly as he pushed aside everything he had been thinking about, everything he had gone through. All the pain. All his losses. Wiping his eyes quickly, Nate recomposed himself as everyone there applauded.

"Eight years ago," Nate went on, "We have won victory after victory. We put an end to the raiders' reign of terror. We put an end to the Triggermen. The Forged. The Rust Devils. The Mechanist. The Gunners. We put an end to the Institute. We won the Brotherhood War. The Commonwealth is safe. Safer than it was eight years ago. Eight years ago, Preston Garvey here was the last Minuteman standing. Now, he is one among two thousands."

"The Commonwealth is safe." The Sole Survivor repeated. "But the Commonwealth is not the world. There are enemies beyond her borders. Enemies that want nothing less than to destroy the Commonwealth, just like the Institute did years ago. And they are coming for us."

He went quiet for a moment, as did everyone else. Then... "The Gunners have resurfaced." There came murmurs and shouts then, the people suddenly worried and afraid and wondering if this was why so many Minutemen had gathered. "They have been hard at work ever since their defeat eight years ago. They have conquered new territories of their own. They have terrorized other communities. They have conscripted more men and women, amassed more weapons, and they have made their preparations for their invasion."

"But, that invasion will never come!"

"We fought together, all of us, for a free Commonwealth. Some of us bled for the Commonwealth. Some of us died for the Commonwealth." Nate went on. "We fought for freedom, and we won that freedom. But freedom isn't free. It's paid for with the highest of costs. Sacrifice. Every one of us have sacrificed something for the Commonwealth. A parent. A sibling. A child. Friends. Loved ones. People we'll never see again."

"An army has been raised," the Sole Survivor continued. "An army with only one purpose. To fight for the safety of the Commonwealth, the freedom of her people, and the continued existence of everything we have built together. Together, we will march south to confront the Gunners and to put an end to them. We will free the people living under the fear of the Gunners. And they will know the same peace the Commonwealth enjoys."

The General looked all around himself them, looked in as many eyes as possible, smiling all the while.

"And we will march on further! Into Rhode Island! Into Connecticut! Into New York and New Jersey! All the way to the Capital Wasteland! The heart of America itself! And there," Nate held up his hand, the hand holding the new flag, "We're going to pull down Arthur Maxson from his throne and put an end to his insanity before he can destroy the Commonwealth!"

He handed the flag to Preston then, who took it with great care and began unfolding it.

"It is not for the sake of vengeance. It is not an act of greed. It is not a desire for glory. What we do, we do in the name of peace and sanity. What we do, we do in the name of the Commonwealth, for the Commonwealth." Nate turned to the side as he spoke, winking at Hancock.

The ghoul snorted in response. "Sounds good to me, General." He stepped forward then, joining Nate at the front. "Of the Commonwealth, for the Commonwealth!"

The crowds broke out in cheers, applauding wildly, some even taking up the chance to start chanting what the General and Hancock had just said.

All the while, Preston worked at attaching the flag to the flagpole. Once he finished, the Colonel turned to his superior. "We're all set, General." Nate nodded, smiling. He turned his attention back to the cheering masses. Raising his hands up in the air, he gestured for them to allow him to speak.

"The Mayor of Goodneighbor, John Hancock." The General stepped aside as Hancock took center stage.

"Well, boys and girls, have we got a real prize for y'all!" Hancock grinned as he greeted the crowd with a wave of his hand. "Me and the others, we've been doing lots of thinkin' and drinkin' and hittin'... Well, granted, I was doing most of the drinkin' and druggin' but..."

There was a nervous laughter, as if they thought he was kidding but they weren't entirely sure. Nate groaned and facepalmed. Preston grunted in disgust as he pulled the flag up the pole.

"Anyhow! We've been flyin' the Minuteman flag for years now! But you know what? The Minutemen aren't the Commonwealth. They're her protectors. Her saviors. So we all agreed, the Commonwealth need a real an' proper flag of her own!" He pointed upward then, toward the flag that was now waving in the air, high above the bazaar. They could see stripes of red and white, with blue in one corner, ringed in stars, the symbol of the Minutemen in the middle. "Now, it might be a brave new world here and now, but one thing hasn't changed..."

Nate stepped forward then, clapping Hancock on his shoulder. "We're still Americans."

Hancock patted him on the back before moving back where he had been earlier. The General smiled as he looked up at the flag. It was good to see the stars and stripes again. Though, he hadn't expected to see the lightning bolt and the rifle included as well. "That flag... is a symbol, an enduring one. It was once the symbol of the United States of America. The greatest nation to ever grace this Earth. A symbol of our national pride. A symbol of our military might. A symbol of our matchless advances in art and literature and science. A symbol of the human spirit and the stubborn refusal to ever give up. A symbol of the American Dream. Those stars and stripes... The colors... They all mean something. Purity and innocence. Hardiness and valor. Vigilance and perseverance. And above all... Freedom. Truth. Justice."

He brought his gaze back down on the people. "That flag is a symbol we all can rally around, a symbol to believe in. This Commonwealth of ours, it used to be one of the thirteen that made up America."

Hancock piped up then, "We took back this wasteland from all the assholes and bastards runnin' it into the ground!"

And Preston stepped up as well. "We took back this wasteland from the Gunners, the Institute, and the Brotherhood!"

Nate finished it up next. "And if we can do that here, we can do it anywhere else! We rebuild the Commonwealth here, we can rebuild them all! It'll mean the end of the raiders, the freaks, the maniacs, anyone who's ever pushed us around and threatened us, everyone who has ever held a gun to our heads and told us what to do! From now onward, anyone ever threaten us... Threaten that flag... Tell us what they want from us... The only answer we're going to give them is this."

And the General took a single step forward, held out a single finger, as if he were facing some unknown opponent, and with a smile on his face... "You go straight to Hell!"

Amidst thunderous cheering, Preston and Hancock both left the platform.

Preston made his way through the crowds, back toward Corvega. There were always things to see to, after all. Hancock, on the other hand, decided on another direction, joining up with Fahrenheit and a few of the Goodneighbor boys.

Nathaniel was still where he stood, soaking in all the cheers and clapping.

Then he went on, smiling. "And when it comes down to it, that's why I'm taking the fight to the Gunners and to Maxson. It's because I love that flag, and I love this Commonwealth. It has been a honor, rebuilding the Minutemen to protect you all, and it has been a joy to watch you all rebuild your lives."

"But," he went on, "while I'm away, while your fighting sons and daughters are away, there will be a very important duty for every one of you. The most important of them all."

There came a silence then, everyone listening closely to what the General had to say now.

"While we're fighting in the name of the Commonwealth, it'll be up to you all to make it worth the fight!" He gestured for someone else to join him then. "That's why we're all going to take a very important step forward together, for the Commonwealth. Every town in the Commonwealth, every farm, every settlement, every community... You all have representatives to look after your interests and make sure you have a say in this alliance. Well... We're going to get together and figure out who's going to represent us all."

Danny Sullivan stepped onto the platform then, waving as he approached the General. "That's right, folk!" He shook Nate's hand then, clapped him on the shoulder before going on. "In about a year's time, we're going to be voting on the President of this Commonwealth, someone who'll be our voice. One voice for one Commonwealth!"

As he went on, the General left the platform as well. With some difficulty, he made his way through the masses, feeling dozens of hands touching him, patting him, clapping on his back. The Minutemen escorting him struggled to keep a path moving forward.

Piper waved at him when she saw him looking around in her direction. The Sole Survivor smiled and gestured for her to join him. "Solomon, thank you." She grinned as she put away her notepad, having jotted down a hundred things in it already throughout the whole speech.

The radio operator, the Voice of Freedom, smiled and nodded. "No problem. It was good to see you again, Pip."

The intrepid reporter made her way through the crowd as well, ducking and weaving and dodging, until she found herself outside a fixed up Slocum Joe, catching sight of Nate and the two Minutemen escorting him inside.

Inside, Piper sat beside him on one of the stools, the Minutemen knowing her well and having let her through.

"Hell of a speech, eh?" Nate grinned.

The reporter nodded. "Inspirational, Blue. Like always." She pulled out a pen and her notepad. "So, I was thinking... Interview?"

He chuckled. "Anything for you, Piper."

She pulled off her press hat then, revealing the short haircut she had gotten recently. Nate raised an eyebrow at that.

"Nice look," came the compliment.

"Oh, I thought it was time for a change, Blue." Piper shrugged. "So... Nathaniel Howard. General of the Minutemen. Savior of the Wasteland. Hero of the Brotherhood War. Conqueror of th-"

"I'm not an conqueror, Piper. I'm not out to take over the world, you know that." The Sole Survivor looked at her.

"True." The reporter chuckled. "Just exercising some creative liberties. That aside... You really mean what you said, Blue? Out there, I mean."

He nodded. "Absolutely. Every word of it."

"You said we beat the Gunners once. That's true. But the Gunners also beat the Minutemen once. They say history has a habit of repeating itself... How do you know it won't repeat in their favor?" Inquired the fearless woman.

"Because the only way the Gunners could beat the Minutemen was when the Minutemen were already fighting each other. There's none of that now. Every advantage the Gunners had in the past, the Minutemen have now. We're united in a common goal. We've got the training now, the discipline, the gear. Our people have fought against synths and mutants and the Brotherhood." Nate smiled. "Whatever military training they've got, it's been filtered through two hundred years of violence and greed. And they only fight for caps. The training I've given the Minutemen is the real deal. And they're fighting for something far more important than money. They're fighting for something bigger than themselves. That's the real difference. That's our edge."

Piper jotted down everything the General said. Then she looked up at him. "And once the Gunners are done with?"

"Like I said, we're going to push on through, until we reach the Capital Wasteland. Arthur Maxson is the real danger here, and anyone stupid enough to stand in my way, I'll roll over them, roll over everything to get to the bastard."

"And the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"We've got Brotherhood tech on our side too. The Outcasts are returning with us, and once they've gotten word back to their people... I think there's going to be a lot of infighting before the dust settles. Maxson's unhinged. He's paranoid. He's not thinking straight anymore. The only thing on his mind is wiping the slate clean and putting a shiny coat on his aura of invincibility. At least, I hope it is. Because an enemy that's obsessed with a particular goal... They'll be easy to read. Easy to predict and counter."

"So say you win. What when?" Piper continued.

"Once Maxson's taken down, I'm going to make sure he never threaten anyone else. Ever. The Brotherhood can keep him, provide they keep him under control. They can rebuild if they want, but the way they operated... That's finished. No more conscripting civilians. No more taking crops and supplies and whatever else they want. No more occupying territories and imposing their rules."

"In other words," the reporter went on then, "the Brotherhood of Steel won't be running things anymore in the Capital Wasteland. Who's going to fill that void then? The Minutemen? The people living there? You talked about rebuilding Commonwealths everywhere, rebuilding America... While we're busy voting on a President, are you going to be building us a country?"

Nate didn't answer then. He helped himself to some more of the Nuka Cola in his hand instead. Then he sighed. "I don't know, honestly."

"You say you're not a conqueror, Blue. What are you then? A liberator?" She had a point then, Nate realized. What was he, really? Hero? General? Savior? Were they really something he deserved? He hadn't really done much. All he had done was given the people the means to do what needed doing.

"I'm a soldier, Piper. That's all there is to it. The Army trained me to fight America's wars. Whatever happened since the Great War, this is still America as far as I'm concerned. Maybe I'm the only one who remember her the way she used to be. Maybe I'm the only soldier left in her army." He looked at Piper then, a sad little smile on his lips. "Even if I'm the last soldier left, that doesn't mean my war's over."

"Blue..."

Nate sighed as he leaned back. "There was this guy, Piper. A real general. One of the best in American history. General Douglas MacArthur. The last year or so, I kept thinking about him. What he did. What he managed to accomplish... And couldn't accomplish."

"Uh huh?" The reporter said, urging him on.

"He fought in wars. Even fought in two World Wars. In the end... He ended up being charged with insubordination by his President. I used to do a report on him in college, so I read up a lot about him. One thing really stood out to me, though... It was his farewell speech. He said... 'Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. Various methods through the ages have been attempted to devise an international process to prevent or settle disputes between nations. From the very start workable methods were found in so far as individual citizens were concerned, but the mechanics of an instrumentality of larger international scope have never been successful. Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. The utter destructiveness of war now blocks out this alternative. We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door." Nate fell silent as he thought about that speech. It had been originally something he was planning to quote in his speech two centuries ago, but had decided against it.

"He goes on to say that it wasn't really a social or political problem but a spiritual one. He was trying to say that we had to change our nature. Believe in something bigger than us and have faith in that instead of..." The General sighed then. "In the end, what he warned us against came to pass anyway, oh, about a hundred and twenty years later. A pessimist would have said that maybe it was fated to happen no matter what, that humanity's destiny lay with extinction."

He looked at her. "Me? I say to hell with that."

Piper appeared lost in thought. She had never heard Blue like this before. "Nate..."

The Sole Survivor chuckled. "Don't mind me, I'm just getting philosophical. Just means I need a stiff drink and a good night's sleep. Haven't had one in... Ah, two hundred and eighteen years." He grinned at his joke then. "Piper, there's something I was hoping to ask you."

"What is it?" said Piper, genuinely curious.

"Come with us. There's a hell of a story in the making, you know. Someone's gotta write about it."

"You want me to join this expedition of yours?" She raised her eyebrow. She couldn't deny she had thought about it. It would have been a hell of an adventure... "But what about Na-"

"Your sister is old enough to look after herself, Piper." said Nate gently, a smile on his lips. "But if it makes you feel better, I will have my boys look after her personally. And this way, you get to add wartime journalist to your resume, eh?"

Piper chuckled. "All right, Blue... You got it."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _There we go, the third of three chapters I promised! Glad to see you're still with me, readers._

 _So, the next chapter should be up soon, hopefully. I've still got plenty of words left, jumbling around this ol' brain of mine, and plenty of fuel in left in the tank, so we'll see how far we can get into the story before I need to sit back down and start working out what comes next. Now, the procession will be happening in the next chapter, but it'll be more or less focused on Nate and his short-term and long-term plans. That'll be fun to write, I'm sure..._

 _On to the reviews!_

 _ **Paladin Bailey** , there's definitely going to be plenty of spoils of war for the Minutemen to tap into, and that's all part of the Sole Survivor's plan. And who knows, maybe they'll be able to bolster their numbers with fresh volunteers, or even with the Gunners that's decided to surrender once their commanders are all dead and there's no one left to lead them. I also like the sound of Commonwealth Army Rangers as well, though!_

 _And to the **guest** that reviewed, good questions, all of them. Let's get them answered, eh?_

 _We'll just have to see who Nate eventually settles down with, if he even gets a chance to settle down at all!_

 _As for the Minutemen and their choice of uniform, Preston Garvey is essentially the first Minuteman Nate has ever met, so to the Sole Survivor, Preston is the iconic Minuteman. To him, it made sense for Preston to be used as the model for the New Minutemen, plus its got an unique look to it which I really like. Hence, the Colonial Duster has become the signature look of the Minutemen, and as part of the training and the discipline Nate has given them, its a rite of passage for them to 'earn the dusters'. That said, the Colonial Duster is not the only uniform they have. Artillery crews and maintenance personnel wear the Army uniform, just dyed blue. Veterans of the Minutemen incorporate additional armor along with their dusters. The upper ranks, officers and all, have a different variant of the duster, with patches to signify rank and unit. Heavy weapon specialists in Minutemen squads are all in Power Armor, obviously painted blue. The original (and in my opinion, shitty) uniform are used for the recruits, to be worn until they graduate and earn their dusters as well._

 _Danse will likely eventually get back into wearing Power Armor, there's just no opportunity so far for him to pick up a suit of his own, resources are tight after all. Not just yet, anyway._

 _And yes, while most of the Railroad agents, upon pulling out of the Commonwealth, made their way to Far Harbor or other parts, the remainder were folded into the Minutemen's intelligence agency, under Director Jonah Monroe. After all, he needed experienced agents, and a lot of the synths that managed to survive ended up working under him, since they're accustomed to undercover work, having done it for years._

 _Glad you love the story, though! Makes it worth it to keep writing, really. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter as well, buddy.  
_

 _And to everyone else, thanks for reading!_


	9. The Times, They Are Changin'

**Author's Note:** A heads up, I added quotes to every chapter up to this point! Mostly as flavor text, but some of them are actually fictional quotes. More on this below!

 **Disclaimer:** This story is written using the setting and the characters of Bethesada's Fallout franchise, and as such, they all belong to Bethesada. Original characters, fictional locations, and such are all entirely made up and any resemblance to other people/places is purely coincidental. If you find a reason to sue me, proceed. Just be warned, I'm virtually penniless and have a cute little puppy that relies on me for food and a warm place to sleep. A puppy, people. Don't be cruel.

 **BRAVE NEW WORLD**

 **Chapter 9 - The Times, They Are Changing**

* * *

" _They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."_

 _Andy Warhol, Legendary Pop Artist._

" _If your time to you is worth savin',_

 _Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone_

 _For the times they are a-changin'."_

 _\- Bob Dylan, American Singer_

" _I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."_

 _Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic Saint._

* * *

Two weeks after the excitement of Commonwealth Day, the great army that the Sole Survivor had spent a month assembling was finally all together.

For the sake of keeping the peace, the majority of the Super Mutants had already been dispatched down south, to await the rest of the army at Murkwater, once an unfinished construction site and now a large settlement of former refugees with a sizable Minutemen garrison, as the necessity of patrolling the southern border demanded a strong presence.

A number of them had remained behind though, along with Stronk, and would participate in the procession to showcase their involvement in the campaign. Similarly, a honor guard of Brotherhood Outcasts, under Paladin Carter's command, had joined the procession at the General's request. He had refused at first, but once Protector Ingram insisted on it, the Paladin agreed to it. They certainly had to do something to generate good will and put the past behind them, or so the Protector reasoned.

Captain Eamon Hollis, cutting a bold figure in his dusters, stepped out in the middle of the road, drew a sword from his scabbard, a ceremonial weapon recently crafted by the best blacksmiths the Commonwealth had to offer.

He stared back at the host arrayed before him, going over what the marching order would be. They had been over this most of the night before, him and Danse and the General.

The Minutemen had all been divided into ten companies of a hundred men each. And in between every company, the remainder of the army had been split up. Volunteer units up front, the Brotherhood Outcasts in the center, the mercenaries taking up positions behind them, and the Super Mutants at the very rear, where the majority of the Minutemen veterans had been placed.

And for the campaign ahead, they would follow the 'rule of ten', as the General had put it. By taking a tenth of every faction that comprised the army, they would have ten full companies of two hundred and forty men each.

Furthermore, there was the hope that their numbers would grow with every territory they liberated, especially in the Capital Wasteland.

With the flag bearers in front of him, the young Captain gave them a nod. "On my mark," Captain Hollis announced then, holding his sword up high.

"Forward, march!"

Amidst thunderous cheering, they marched. To the sound of trumpets and the beat of drums, they marched. Under a cloudless blue sky, they marched. As patriotic music seldom heard in two centuries blared out of loudspeakers, they marched. For duty's sake, they marched. For liberty's sake, they marched. For freedom's sake, they marched. For the peace and the defense of a free Commonwealth, they marched.

For the fragile hopes of a fledgling nation, the army marched.

In the days to come, a reporter working for the Lexington Ledger would give these men and women fighting for the Commonwealth on distant battlefields a new name, one that would come to be heard all over the Commonwealth as the people chattered and wondered at how their fighting sons and daughters were faring.

" _On the fifteenth of September, the New Commonwealth Army has finally set off on their great campaign to defend our homes from foreign threats abroad. A source within the Minutemen has said that the Army will be making its way throughout the Commonwealth, intending to march through all of the cities that count themselves among the permanent members of the alliance, including Bunker Hill, Goodneighbor, Quincy, and Diamond City, before arriving at the southern border, where General Nathaniel Howard and the New Commonwealth Army will venture into the unknown in order to put an end to the Gunners and liberate a region that has long suffered under their misrule. Further news regarding the Presidential election is also expected to come shortly!"_

As the army continued its march, Nathaniel took one last look around Lexington before stepping into the M1025 Hummer, joining Colonel Preston Garvey and Major Danse, recently promoted to his position as chief of staff.

"How are we doing?" Nate asked right off the bat, impatient as hell and wishing things were moving faster already.

Major Danse cleared his throat. "Your army should be somewhere between Mystic Pines and Wildwood Cemetery by now. The rest of them are already standing by at Murkwater."

Preston sighed. "Super Mutants..." It was still amazing to think about, even a month later.

The Sole Survivor chuckled. "Should have seen it coming, really. Bastards love fighting and we promised them the biggest fight ever... What are they up to anyway? I doubt they're sitting around, whistling Dixie."

The former Paladin shook his head. "No. They've been hunting, I think. Captain Barnes said they mentioned something about getting fresh meat."

Nate chuckled. "Guess they're getting ready, after all. Can't march off to war on an empty stomach. Mirelurks, I'm guessing?"

"Among others." Danse answered.

Preston waved that aside. "Anyway, you really think you've got enough people for this? I still think you should have taken more."

"Any more and we'd have left the Commonwealth guarded by a skeleton crew." Nate smiled. "Rest easy, Preston. Ten companies, plus a thousand extra guns on the side, that's more than enough. Besides, I'm confident we're going to pick up even more volunteers on the way, those Gunners have done a hell of a job oppressing an entire region. They'll have plenty of men, yeah. But Monroe's people say they've been drafting as many people as possible, brutalizing them and getting them ready for a war. Those people are gonna hate the Gunners for all of that... More likely than not, they're going to turn on the Gunners. The persecuted always do when their oppressors are in a bad spot."

"And we're aiming to put them into that spot," Major Danse added, nodding his agreement. "Plus, we won't be alone."

The General and his second in command looked at Danse then. If this was what he thought it was... "You're saying..."

Danse held up a letter. "Hull Town answered"

Nate grinned as he took the letter. This was definitely good news. For decades now, Hull Town had been a trading partner with southern Commonwealth, mostly Quincy. Following the Quincy Massacre, little had been heard regarding them. But as soon as the Minutemen had come back into the picture and sent the Gunners running, Hull Town was more than happy to to resume trading with the Commonwealth. It was only after the Brotherhood War that relationships between the Commonwealth and Hull Town had cooled somewhat, as Hull Town had not appreciated being extorted by the Brotherhood of Steel and coming under attack by the Gunners.

Despite the Commonwealth's offer of assistance in fending off the Gunners, Hull Town had flatly refused, saying they would see to their own defenses.

But things had obviously changed since then. For one, Nate knew the isolationist faction in Hull Town, headed by that insufferable jackass Harry Hutchinson, had been just overthrown by another faction, one that was made up of mostly merchants, people who wanted to bring even more opportunities to Hull Town. He had only met their leader once. But one time was all it took for Nate to know that Tony Amonte was a good man.

Preston watched him in silence, waiting to hear what they had said. The General looked up at him then. "Hull Town says since we're sending an army to finish off the Gunners, they'll support the move and send in their own forces."

"So we've got some support already?" Preston asked, surprised. "How did they even know we were moving against the Gunners anyway?"

"Oh, I told them." Nate smiled. "Thought they'd like to get in on the fight. Especially since we've been at impasse with them for years. They've been having a rough time with the Gunners lately, ever since we pushed them out of the Commonwealth."

And Danse added. "And now that you've decided to take the fight to the Gunners, with Hull Town applying pressure as well, they'll be split on two fronts."

Preston nodded, smiling now that he was seeing what the General had in mind the entire time. "It's a smart move, man."

"It gets better." Danse answered.

Nate chuckled, handing Preston the letter. "They're also sending someone to meet with our people. A representative."

That surprised the Colonel. "What for?" He asked, before opening the letter and taking a look at it. "This... They want to talk about joining the Commonwealth? But... Why? We approached them about this before, right before the Brotherhood War."

"My guess is they figured the Brotherhood was going to wipe the floor with us. I mean, bastards came with an army, a giant fucking robot, and a goddamn airship. Maxson must have intimidated them into not starting any fights with the Brotherhood. Seven years is a long time. Plenty of time for things to change. The Brotherhood's gone, but we're still here."

And Preston was beginning to understand now. "And we're stronger now."

"Bigger too," Nate agreed. "Plus seven years of dealing with the Gunners? I'm thinking they probably realized they don't have the numbers they need to take on the Gunners. Probably realized if the Commonwealth goes down this time, there'll be nothing to stop the Gunners from overrunning Hull Town."

Danse crossed his arms then. "So it's their way of ensuring their continued survival."

The General nodded. "I don't blame them. That's politics for you." Then he grinned. "Heh. Nothing new there, huh?"

"So, what do we do about this?" Preston asked.

Nate smiled. "Radio Fort Revere. Have them send over some of their boys to meet up with the representative. And tap the Commodore, make sure he send one of his ships to pick up them up from Andrews Island."

Preston stared at him. "... And?"

The General looked out the window then. "Hancock can handle the rest, I'm sure. Or Gwen or Kessler. Just let the candidates we got know, it'll be a major boost for their campaigns, I'm sure."

His second in command nodded. "All right then, you got it."

Nathaniel looked over at Danse. "Anything else?"

The former Paladin held up a paper for the General, who took it. "Doctor Li made a discovery."

There was only silence now as Nathaniel went over the document, going over what he was reading in his head. He smiled then. "Madison and her people have found a satellite up there, and they think they can gain control of it."

Preston cocked his head. "A satellite? What are we going to do with a satellite, General? Drop bombs on the Gunners? I thought that was out of the question."

Nate snorted. "Not that kind of satellite, Preston. This one is geared toward long-distance communications. Madison says they just need to find a way to amplify their communications array in order to be able to link up with Hermes."

"Hermes?" The Colonel inquired.

"That's the name, apparently." Nate shrugged.

Danse, though, had something in mind. "Sir. The deep range transmitter we recovered from ArcJet before Elder Maxson's arrival... It could be useful in accomplishing just that."

Nate nodded. "I was thinking the same, yeah. I'll have to talk to Ingram about borrowing the transmitter. We'll probably have to establish some sort of joint Commonwealth-Brotherhood venture-"

Preston held up his hand. "Sorry to interrupt, General... But what's the point of all this? What is Hermes going to do for us?"

Nathaniel smiled. "Danse?"

The Major turned to Preston then. "If we can bring Hermes under Minutemen control, it will enable us to communicate with each other, even over long distances."

Preston caught the gist of it now, nodding along with the synth's explanation. "Meaning we can stay in touch even with you guys away."

Danse nodded. "Control of Hermes will allow us to remain in communication range, up to a certain point." He gestured toward the document in Nathaniel's hands. "Doctor Li has gone over the specifications on Hermes and she has determined that the Capital Wasteland is still well within Hermes' range."

Nate looked up at Danse, a smile on his lips. "Well within range is an understatement. According to this, with Hermes' help, the Capital Wasteland would be only about halfway within our overall range. We'd be able to stay in touch as far as West Virginia."

Preston raised an eyebrow at that. "West Virginia. Not to sound rude or anything, General... But what would be the point in going as far as West Virginia? Is there even anything there?"

The General shrugged. "I dunno. Probably a vault, at least? In any case, I got no doubt that the Commonwealth is gonna spread even further. At the very least, it'll stretch from Salem to... Danse?"

"Girdershade. It's a small settlement on the southwestern end of the Capital Wasteland." The Major supplied in response.

"Whatever." Nate smiled, shrugging. "And I've been to Far Harbor with Nick. The people living up there, they're a good people. Hard people, but good all the same. I'm hoping we'll be able to establish a safe route from the Commonwealth to Far Harbor, sea travel being what it is these days. Shouldn't take much to bring Maine into the fold."

Danse tilted his head then. "You're serious about rebuilding commonwealths then?"

Preston was lost for a moment, but Nate nodded. "Of course, I am. I said we'd rebuild the Commonwealth. And as far as I'm concerned, the Commonwealth includes Maine."

The Major chuckled, a rarity for those that knew him. "Along with Rhode Island and Connecticult... Right?"

Nate simply smiled.

Preston shook his head. "So that's why you insisted on that route. This was all part of the plan?"

The General nodded. No point in hiding it any further. "That's right. Once we crush the Gunners and liberate southern Massachusetts, Rhode Island's next. And since she's the smallest state in what used to be America, securing her won't take long. Then a straight shot through Connecticut to New York, and we'll have most of the original New England Commonwealth under our control."

And Danse prodded his superior on, "And once we're finished with our campaign in the Capital Wasteland...?"

Nate chuckled. "By then, we should have our President. It'll take the Commonwealth some time to get a government up and running. Until then, any and all territories we capture will remain under martial law. Like I said to Ingram, the Brotherhood's an army without a country. An occupying force. I'm going to strip the Brotherhood of all territorial gains they've made since..." He snapped a finger at Danse then.

Danse knew what the General was getting at. "Since 2284. A year after being made Elder by the West Coast Brotherhood."

"2284. That'd have made him... Sixteen?" The Sole Survivor wondered aloud.

"Yes sir." Danse agreed.

"Seems pretty premature to me, putting a kid in charge of an entire chapter, but whatever. Even if he was a hell of a kid." Nathaniel shrugged before continuing. "But yeah, Maxson's Brotherhood isn't going to be drawing on the resources of an entire wasteland anymore. Without his Brotherhood maintaining stability, though... I have no doubt the Capital Wasteland is going to degenerate into a warzone for a while. That's why it'll be up to our people to maintain order. That's the essential difference between us. We're peacekeepers, not an occupying force."

Preston nodded in agreement. "And once we got a President and the government's up and running? What then?"

"By then, it won't be up to us anymore. The President will decide what to do with all the territory we've secured. Hopefully, they'll take the chance we've given them to make them equal members of the Commonwealth instead of treating them as conquered territories. Massachusetts. Rhode Island. Connecticut. New York. New Jersey. Delaware. Maryland. Virginia. That's eight states... Plus the District of Columbia. From another perspective, we'll control lands belonging to three, that's right, three different Commonwealths. Furthermore... If we focus on bringing all of their territories under our control, that gives us fourteen states."

The Colonel whistled at that. "That's a lot of real estate to be looking after, General."

Danse nodded in agreement, before volunteering another way of looking at it. "Plenty of land, to be sure. But it also gives us plenty of resources to draw on and plenty of manpower. Enough to continue the good fight."

Nate cocked his head at that. "The good fight?"

Danse smiled. "Just something I heard on the radio back in the Capital Wasteland. All the same, sir... I see what you're getting at. With the New England Commonwealth, the Eastern Commonwealth, and the Columbia Commonwealth behind us, that gives us a strong foundation."

The Sole Survivor smiled. "Exactly. It'll be a springboard into the future. From there, we'll march into the South East Commonwealth, all the way to Florida. Then, westward, into the East Central and the Gulf Commonwealths. Those three alone will more than double our territory... And give us control of a third of the country. That's six out of thirteen Commonwealths already."

And Preston couldn't help but smile as well, finding himself inexplicably caught up in his savior's plans for the future. "And from there?"

Nate grinned. "The Great Midwest Commonwealth. I used to visit Chicago a lot before the bombs dropped. Beautiful city. I'm looking forward to rebuilding her. And after that... The Plains Commonwealth. Then Texas. Another three Commonwealths... More than half the country by that point.

Danse stared at Nathaniel. "It won't be easy, though. There'll be plenty of people who'll refuse to join. Plenty who won't want any part of it. And there'll be some who are gonna want to be the one to make that future a reality... in their image. If you intend to take it that far, you're going to run into other nations."

The General raised his eyebrow then. "Nations, eh? Are there really other nations out there in the wasteland? Because I haven't heard of any so far."

Danse chuckled. "There's at least one. The New California Republic."

The name struck a chord in Nate then. He looked at Danse, his expression clouded all of a sudden, as if he was lost in thought. Or rather, lost in memories. "Hang on... I remember that name. It was in one of Kellogg's memories. I just figured they were just some small-time... eh, faction? I didn't realize they were an actual country as well."

Major Danse nodded. "The New California Republic, also known as the NCR, controls the entirety of what was once the state of California. Originally established in the year 2189, the NCR was comprised of five states, New California, the Hub, Maxson, the Boneyard, and Dayglow. And according to the last report we received from Lost Hills, the NCR is comprised of fourteen states now. In addition to the aforementioned five, there is also Darkwater, New Reno, Modoc, Klamath, Navarro, Frisco, Lompoc, Bullhead, and Baja."

Nate absorbed all this in silence. He was clearly thinking, perhaps evolving whatever plan he had in his head. Preston and Danse remained silent, knowing their leader would need the silence in which to consider his future options. Whatever he might be, they knew Nate was a man who was always looking at the bigger picture.

"Well..." The General began, sighing as he broke the silence, "We'll just have to deal with that once we're that far down the road. Danse, I want you to compile a report on this New California Republic. Everything you know, everything you remember about them, I want it on file. I got a hunch that these guys are going to be one of the few that'll be able to rival us. So... Once the Republic and the Commonwealth meet up, I want to make sure we're in a position of strength."

"Yes, sir." Danse replied. At the very least, he would be able to update his report on the NCR once Maxson was taken care of and the Citadel's data banks were available for him to tap into. He would have to put together a report on every major power in between the Republic and the Commonwealth as well.

For starters, the Legion, the one faction that had given the NCR such a hard time. From the reports they received from Lost Hills a few years back, it sounded as if the Republic and the Legion were at a stalemate, having clashed over the Mojave Wasteland.

Apparently, there had been no real winner, as the man responsible for routing the NCR and breaking the Legion had simply vanished.

There was also the Republic of Texas, occupying most of the former state of Texas and parts of Louisiana and Mexico. Last he had heard, the Texas Brotherhood of Steel was currently fighting to keep the Republic of Texas in check but the Elder there expressed concerns regarding the Federalists' growing military and industrial might.

Speaking of the Brotherhood...

Danse remembered that there had been a renegade branch of the Brotherhood of Steel based in the Midwest, one that had diverged from the core teachings of the Brotherhood, had opened their arms to new recruits, even Ghouls and Super Mutants, and had proclaimed themselves the one true Brotherhood. They had, according to Elder Maxson, turned their back on the ideals bestowed upon them by the great founder himself.

Such heresy, unfortunately, had resulted in a powerful and deadly Brotherhood of Steel, one that stretched all the way from Chicago to the very gates of Denver itself.

Danse had no doubt that any of these groups would pose a danger to the Commonwealth. But there were other dangers as well, more immediate ones.

"Sir." The Major spoke then.

Nate glanced at him. "Yeah?"

"The Eastern Brotherhood of Steel will likely be supported by others in the upcoming conflict," said Danse.

The General of the Minutemen gave his chief of staff all of his attention. "Who can we expect to join the Eastern Brotherhood?"

"The Appalachian Brotherhood of Steel, at the very least. They were one of the original chapters following the Great War. In 2087, Roger Maxson established the Brotherhood of Steel, with his chapter based in Lost Hills. He recruited several other remnants of the United States Army into his Brotherhood. One of them was Elizabeth Taggerdy and her Appalachian chapter. They were... Eventually wiped out by some sort of biological weapon in 2107." Danse shrugged. It still bothered many within the Brotherhood that they had never discovered the true origins of this Scorched Plague. "Elder Maxson, in 2286, led an expedition into West Virginia and cleansed most of the region. Once it was cleansed, he re-established the Appalachian chapter."

Nate nodded then. "So, at the very least, we'll be facing two chapters."

"Yes, sir." The Major crossed his arms. "There is also the possibility that there will be additional reinforcements in the form of groups sanctioned by the Eastern Brotherhood of Steel, such as Reilly's Rangers and Talon Company."

"Any opportunities to convince friendlies to join our side?" The Sole Survivor asked, pulling out a cigarette from his pack and flipping open a lighter.

Danse nodded. "There are several. The Regulators of the Frontier have never been part of the Brotherhood's chain of command. There have been friction between the two factions for years now. The Potomac Alliance is also another potential ally, as their leading member, Rivet City, has had a history of problems with the Brotherhood. There is also New Liberty, an autonomous state under the Brotherhood's protection but... Maxson has never trusted their promises of cooperation."

"Where's New Liberty?" Nate asked next.

"New Liberty lies between the Capital Wasteland and the New York Wasteland. The leading cities of New Liberty are Philly, Great Lanta, and Dover. It used to be a warzone, full of slavers and raiders. In the last decade or so, the Mummers of Philly and Dover's Fraternity joined forces with the Adherents of Great Lanta, and they turned... What used to be hell on Earth into a free state."

Nate chuckled then. All these new places, all these new factions. Things were really different now, and he was beginning to realize just how small his scope had been before. "Just like a frog in the well, huh?"

Preston cleared his throat. "Sir?"

The General waved it off. "Don't mind me. Just thinking how everything's different now. I'm just struck by the difference between the past and the present, really." He looked at the two of them then. "In any case... It looks like we got plenty of work cut out for us."

Three days later, the procession was finally finished as the New Commonwealth Army marched down the old road, halting just beside Murkwater. Not far from the settlement, an enormous staging ground had been prepared by people under the direction of both Ronnie and Teagan.

Captain Hollis reported straight to the huge command tent, knowing his superior would be there with his lieutenants, men and women he had personally handpicked for the campaign ahead of them.

The rest of the army began falling in, reporting to their own commanders and ready to take a long good rest from all that marching. It had certainly been exhilarating for many of them, to be sure... The cheering crowds, the celebrations, the raucous shouts of support and adoration.

All of it just served to embolden the rank and file for the hard campaign ahead, convincing them that it was all definitely worth it.

The Brotherhood Outcasts, naturally, filed into their own encampment just beside the Minutemen's staging ground, while the Super Mutants joined their brethren on the other side of the staging ground. The volunteer corps and the mercenaries took up camping grounds designated for them and started setting up tents of their own, chattering and discussing the upcoming campaign. The volunteers, especially, were dreading the training ahead of them.

The young Captain entered the command tent, looked around and caught sight of Danse. He approached the synth then. "Sir, reporting for duty."

Danse looked up at him. "Captain Hollis. I wasn't expecting you for another two hours."

Eamon grinned. "Ah, things got a bit dull toward the end, so we picked up pace." He looked around again. There were certainly a lot of people here. In one corner, he could see Stronk who was enjoying a hunk of meat. Nearby, Ingram was talking with one of her few remaining Paladins. Teagan and Ronnie were also present, discussing something with Preston Garvey, while Isabella was just beside them, working at a computer she had brought along with her. He also took notice of Robert J. MacCready leaning against a table, smoking a cigarette.

The rest, he saw, were men and women he knew well, those he had trained alongside and ate with, the finest the Minutemen had to offer. No doubt they had been picked as company leaders. He looked back at Danse then, who shrugged. "Ahead of schedule then. Outstanding. The General should be in soon, so be at ease. Coffee's over there, if you want some." The synth gestured toward a nearby table before leaving to inform Nate that Eamon was back.

Captain Hollis grinned and saluted, looking forward to something to pick himself up after a long week.

It wasn't long before Nathaniel Howard joined them all.

He clapped for attention. "All right, ladies and gentlemen! We've got everything worked out. There's ten companies here, and they all need company leaders, so... I'm going to call out your name and assign you a company." He held up a list then. "Eamon Hollis." The young Captain stepped forward and Nate nodded. "You'll be taking command of the 1st Commonwealth Company."

The General looked back at the list, moving on to the next name and company. "Marcus Alvarez." Another man, one in his mid thirties, stepped forward. He looked to be of Hispanic descent, with broad shoulders and his hair slicked back. "Alvarez, the 2nd Commonwealth Company is yours to command. Congratulations... Captain." He added, with a smile.

Pleased with the command and the promotion, Marc stepped back into the crowd. Nate called out another name quickly. "Jamie Bryant." A woman came up next, someone who had only joined three years ago. Nate looked at her then. He had gone over her file earlier, and her record spoke quite well of her. A talented marksman and an exceptional scout. She had a gift for being a soldier and quickly excelled. "3rd Commonwealth Company. You're also being promoted to Captain as well."

And so, it went on and on, names being called, someone stepping up to claim their assignment and their promotion.

Rafael McCormick for the 4th Commonwealth, Kristen Hayes for the 5th Commonwealth, Brad Collington for the 6th Commonwealth, Clark John Richards for the 7th Commonwealth, Marie Chavez for the 8th Commonwealth, Tony Savoldi for the 9th Commonwealth, and finally Renee Montoya for the 10th Commonwealth.

After congratulating the nine new Captains once again, the General saluted all of them before moving on to the next piece of business. "Major Shaw will be going over the troop composition of your companies shortly after this meeting. After that, see Major Teagan about rations and supplies. He'll make sure every man and woman under your commands are outfitted properly. Tomorrow, we'll be conducting live fire training with the Brotherhood Outcasts," he gestured toward Protector Ingram, "in order to establish rapport with our allies. You'll learn their tactics and they'll learn yours." Nate pointed at MacCready next, motioning him forward. "The day after that, you'll be taking your companies and learning from the best the Free Militia have to offer, as Robert's people have generously volunteered to serve as our scouts and snipers. In exchange, we're going to learn how to acclimate to their presence on the battlefield and ensure that we don't leave them exposed to enemy fire."

Then he turned his attention to Stronk. "... The Super Mutants will be hunting for more food." He cleared his throat. "That's... That's all." How the fuck do you even train with Super Mutants anyway? Stronk, though, seemed satisfied with that.

"While you're all undergoing training, we'll be drilling the volunteer corps in order to get them up to our usual standards. It will take time and it will take a great deal of effort, but once they're ready, they'll be earning dusters of their own and joining our ranks as proper Minutemen. Until that day, look after the volunteers under your command, get them accustomed to how we do things, and don't put their lives in danger. They're still untrained civilians, so use them for tasks that won't get them killed." The General dismissed them all then. "And remember, we're heading south in four days' time!"

With that, everyone left to carry out their latest orders, while Nate remained behind with Preston, Danse, Ingram, and a few others to begin planning for the attack on Brockton.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** _Greetings!_

 _I realize it's been about a month since my last chapter, and I apologize for that. This chapter in particular gave me some trouble. Actually, I had to rewrite it six times. And even then, I wasn't satisfied. Then a minor writer's block popped up and that just complicated things further. So on a friend's advice, I took some time off to clear my head._

 _I ended up playing Fallout 1 some. Along with Fallout New Vegas... and Destiny 2. Destiny 2 took up most of my time, actually. I got pretty damn focused on getting my Light as high up as I could, and I wanted to finish the goddamn Festival of the Lost crap. If I ever see the Haunted Forest again, it will be too damn soon. But yeah, I started considering some ideas for a Destiny 2 fanfic. Not anytime soon, though. Got BRAVE NEW WORLD to focus on first. :P I also played a bit of Skyrim as well, so you may eventually see a fanfic about a Breton Necromancer at some point, ah haha... -sweatdrops-_

 _That said, I sat down three days ago and started rewriting this chapter... for the seventh time... The original version was supposed to be a procession that'd take us through the major cities of the Commonwealth. But no matter how I wrote it, I wasn't satisfied with it. Instead, with this seventh version, I decided to put the procession in the background and focus on a bit more world building and exposition, hence the addition of Hull Town to the story. There'll be a bit more on Hull Town later down the road, along with southern Mass._

 _Additionally, keep an eye open for another one-shot set in the Fallout universe, this one centered in southern Mass and starring a gang of bikers as they battle the Gunners, just before the Minutemen begin their campaign against the Gunners. It's basically a story meant to introduce another central character to BRAVE NEW WORLD, and personally, I really enjoyed writing him. :D_

 _Next, that bit about the quotes... Like I said, it's pretty much flavor text and meant to set the mood of the chapters, so they'll be basically focused on a common theme that'll be prevalent throughout the chapter. Furthermore, most of the quotes will be from historical figures and all, but some of them will be fictional. For example, there's a quote by Donald Trump, who still becomes the 45th President of the United States, but instead of demonizing Mexicians or terrorists, he's demonizing the Chinese and the Communists. It's my take on the Fallout universe and it's also to show the difference between our timelines. Some things will remain the same, but they'll also be different in other ways._

 _I'll also be working on incorporating all sources of Fallout, even those deemed non-canonical such as Fallout Tactics and Brotherhood of Steel, and I'll also be using any shred of information I can find on canceled games such as Van Buren and Extreme. Also, obviously, I'm already using lore from Fallout 76 as well. One of my goals for this story is to produce a Fallout universe that's essentially nothing more than headcanon but at the same time, hopefully it'll make sense and it'll be as realistic as possible. Like I said, liberties will be taken. Like horses. There's gonna be horses, dammit._

 _Mostly because horses are cool. And convenient. But mostly because they're cool. Yeah._

 _On to the reviews!_

 _ ** _Rexxxar_** _, thank you for the kind compliment!__

 _ _Regarding the Commonwealth Army Rangers, you and me both. :P Probably won't be the Gunners, but maybe Maxson's Brotherhood may be a better challenge for them Rangers.__

 _ _As for an elite group within the Minutemen, I've been mulling over a few options. There are the Gunners themselves, of course, for which I considered having Nate establish a penal company or two, but... Times being what they are and having no way of ensuring cooperation, why put guns back into the hands of raiders? I did also consider putting together a mixed force from various factions. But at the same time, Nate doesn't quite have that many men yet. Only enough men for ten full companies. Any additional men, he's going to need to establish new companies in order to improve his chances of winning against a professional and disciplined army like the Brotherhood. After all, he knows the Minutemen only won the Brotherhood War because the entire Commonwealth was on their side. And this time around, the Commonwealth is going to be, what? 400 miles away? It'd be like 150 hours on foot, normally. Throw in broken roads, debris and ruins, pockets of radiation, all the dangers of the wasteland, and I'd say closer to 200 hours, 250 hours is probably more realistic.__

 _ _In the end, I figured once Nate's freed up a couple of territories from enemy control and recruited more volunteers and mercenaries and locked down some allies, and once he's finally beaten Maxson and his Brotherhood, he'll have plenty of turf from the Commonwealth to the Capital Wasteland to recruit from. With a new President and some Manifest Destiny kinda thinking going on, Nate's gonna be given an opportunity to build a real Commonwealth Army while the Minutemen return to the Commonwealth and take up their duties there. With that kind of mandate, Nate's definitely gonna start establishing different groups within the Commonwealth Army. Rangers. Marines. An Air Force, maybe. Plenty of room for an elite force as well. It'll just take a bit of time to get us to that point, but probably sooner than you'd think. ;)__

 _To the eager **guest** , my apologies for taking so long! I hope this one makes up for it. :)_

 _And to the other **guest**... True to Caesar, amicus. _


End file.
